78 years of coral reef degradation in Pago Pago Harbor: a quantitative record
Green AL, Birkeland CE, Randall RH, Smith BD, Wilkins S. 1997. 78 years of coral reef degradation in Pago Pago Harbor: a quantitative record. Pages 1883-1888. In Author unknown: Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium. Panama City, Panama. 1996. Honolulu, HI
Early this century, lush coral reefs lined the shore of Pago Pago Harbor, American Samoa. Since then, the harbor has undergone urbanization and become a busy port, as well as the site of the two tuna canneries. As a result, the reefs have experienced major dreading and filling operations as well as chronic pollution over many decades. In recent years the reefs have also endured two severe hurricanes and a mass coral bleaching event. This study focuses on the changes that have occurred on the "Aua Transect" in the harbor, based on three quantitative surveys over the last 78 years. There have been dramatic changes in the coral reef community at Aua this century. Coral species richness, abundance, cover and colony size have decreased, and the relative abundance of coral genera has changed. Coral zonation patterns have also changed and some zones have completely disappeared. Diversity of Acropora species and the density of some other macroinvertebrates (holothurians and soft corals) are also much lower now.