Wednesday April 22, 2026
NOAA —
NOAA researchers are headed to American Samoa and the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument for coral reef surveys, April–July 2026, and you’re invited behind the scenes!
Join our Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center through an interactive StoryMap of the mission. Follow along as researchers share where they’re headed and what they find.
Day Shift
During the day, scientists will dive into coral reef health and ocean condition surveys. Their activities will include:
- Photographing, measuring, and mapping corals
- Taking ocean temperatures and collecting seawater samples
- Identifying, counting, and estimating reef fish populations (but no catching involved!)
The information they collect will be used to sustainably manage ocean resources for the human and marine communities who rely on them.
These key surveys are funded by NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program and are part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program. This year marks the 10th survey by the monitoring program in American Samoa since 2002. It also marks the 16th survey in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument since 2000. Regular surveys of these reefs enable us to track reef health and impacts over time.