Coastal resource inventories in Hawaii, Samoa, and Micronesia

Maragos, J.; Elliot, M.

Since 1978 the Corps of Engineers has sponsored coastal resource and coral reef inventories in Pacific areas which are under U.S. Jurisdiction. Completed inventories in Hawaii include the islands of Oahu, Maui, West Hawaii, and Kauai, with Molokai in progress. The inventory 1n American Samoa covered the islands of Tutuila, Aunu`u, Ofu, Olosega and Ta`u. In the Caroline Islands an inventory was completed for Moen (in Truk); one is in progress for Pohnpei and one is planned for Kosrae. The inventory products include a report correlated with an atlas of large scale maps. The products are designed for use by scientists, planners and other officials with management responsibilities over coastal resources. Field data collection emphasizes marine biology (fishes, corals, algae, etc.), oceanography, water quality and marine geology. Other data sources include aerial photographs, literature reviews and interviews with knowledgeable scientists, officials, fishermen and other resource users. The photographs also play a key role in map preparation. The narrative report describes the marine and terrestrial ecology, geomorphology, cultural resources, water quality and oceanography, human uses and other topics for each geographic reach of an island or reef. The geographic coverage of each atlas map corresponds to that of the respective report narrative and includes data on bottom types, bathymetry, currents, waves, study sites and human uses or values plotted by "use" symbols. Reliance on remote sensing and extensive field techniques allows large remote areas to be mapped rapidly. A major value of the inventories is the completed geographic description of important coastal resources in a format that allows managers to direct development away from valuable reefs and other resources worthy of protection. The inventories also identify sites worthy of more intensive research and management and provide "baseline" data to develop resource conservation plans, such as the one in progress for Pohnpei.