Pilot study of factors linking watershed function and coastal ecosystem health in American Samoa: trip report

Abstract

This report assesses the potential need for an interagency effort to address the management and functioning of watersheds and their relationship to the integrity of near shore marine ecosystems and resources in American Samoa. The global demands of growing human populations are changing the dynamics of watersheds. These changes, usually involving increased or modified nutrient and sediment movement, marginalize the sustainability of both near shore and offshore marine resources. Though this trend is widely recognized, empirical data that documents these changes and assesses the effects of specific management actions is often lacking.