American Samoa

About this sanctuary

Located in the waters between Hawaii and New Zealand in the heart of Polynesia’s oldest culture, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is the system’s largest sanctuary, and its most remote, with the world’s oldest and largest Porites coral heads. Rose Atoll Marine National Monument was incorporated as part of the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa during its expansion in 2012.

This is a place of intertwined natural and cultural significance. Extensive reefs produce 150 species of coral that are the backbone of the local economy. It’s home to 1400 different invertebrates and more than a dozen species of marine mammals, among them humpback whales who visit every winter. The Sanctuary also preserves rare maritime heritage resources representing 3,000 years of American Samoan history and tradition, from prehistoric villages to historic shipwrecks to military fortifications.