Presenting on No-Take MPA

Mr. Over Weight Lover (OWL) is presenting why the bigger fish is important than the smaller fish. Why the big fish is important than the small fish is because the big fish produce 2-3 times more eggs then the small fish, reproduce 4-5 times a year, better quality of fish and also has stronger eggs. This is very important for the village people to understand when the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources establish an MPA in the village because a No-Take MPA means no more fishing so the fish can multiply in numbers and also in biomass so the village and families can get benefit.

Tafito and Sione after snorkeling at Airport Lagoon

This photos was taken after snorkeling with Lucy and Tafito at the airport lagoon. It was very interesting because other people saw Sharks and Eagle Rays but we didn't. We were there to practice our Fish ID because it is a very important task for us if we establish our MPA''s. We have to monitor our MPA's and monitoring includes fish id and counting invertebrates that are in our transects that we are going to mark in the MPA. We should be able to identify the kind of fish and inverts that we are protecting for each MPA's for villages.

Sione Lam Yuen snorkeling to practice fish identification at Airport Lagoon in Tafuna



In order for Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) employee's to monitor Marine Protected Area (MPA), they should learn how to identify different species of fish that are popular in American Samoa. So Sione is snorkleing to practice and learned his fish identification.

This was the classroom that was schedual for the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources. The MPA program, Wildlife, Education, and Enforcement division were letting students of Polytech know that helping saving the Coastal and Marine Enviroment is important because of the culture and also for future generations as well. Good Job Kiso So'oto, Saifoi Fa'aumu, Hanipale Hanipale, Malia Vaofanua and Sione Lam Yuen Jr.

Malo le galulue!

These are members from the village of Fagamalo that participated in the outreach. They participated because they want to learn and understand the difference between the CFMP MPA and the No-Take MPA. They also want to know the boundaries and the benefits they get when the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources establish the No-Take MPA. Thanks to the community of Fagamalo for accepting the program especially Faletogo Taliloa which is the High Talking Chief of the village for his guest house for the event.

Group 2: for fieldwork at the village of Futiga

Group 2 is working on strategies to gather information from the village of Futiga. So they can use it in the process of Planning for Climate Change in American Samoa. The asset's that they are discussing might be different from the villagers perspective of what's important in their livelihood.

Collectong data from the village of Vatia's CFMP VMPA

We were having a break from our first 5 25 meters transect on the west of the village of Vatia's MPA. That is the quadrat we used to take photos from every 1 meter along our 5 25 meter transects. Peter and Fale were the first one to lay our 5 25 meters tapes, and Tepora and Sione would count fish and inverts. Joshua was using the quadrac to record substrate cover every meter. We also set 5 25 meters on the east where CFMP have another transect in the VMPA, for more data to help us with our data entry and familiarizing with a software where you can count the different corals, algae's, and inverts.

Reverend Samuelu Tuila'epa explaining his group what they are going to do on designing their action plan to protect marine resources they have in the village of Aunu'u.

These are the facilitators that participated during the PLA workshop in Aunu'u. NOAA PIRO and DMWR Staff. Alan Everson (top left) is the Coral Program Coordinator for NOAA PIRO who funded the event. Fatima Sauafea-Leau (front, 2nd from right) led the event. Malo le galulue!

Selaina and Champion's group

Group 3 is deciding what to do and Carl is pointing to his son where to fish at. They are trying to figure out a strategy to manage their MPA so they can have enough fish for everybody for the future. Good job everybody!