Rose Atoll

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.

Rose Atoll remains one of the most pristine atolls (ring-shaped reefs) in the world. The marine environment around Rose Atoll supports a dynamic reef ecosystem that is home to a diverse assemblage of marine species, many of which are threatened or endangered. One of the most striking features of Rose Atoll is the pink hue of fringing reef caused by the dominance of coralline algae, which is the primary reef-building species. Though there are roughly 100 species of stony corals, the shallow reefs are dominated by crustose coralline algae, making them distinctive from those found in other Samoan islands.