Removing Abandoned and Derelict Vessels in American Samoa

The American Samoa Department of Port Administration is removing abandoned and derelict vessels from various locations on the island of Tutuila, American Samoa. 

Type of Project: Removal

Region: Pacific Islands

Project Dates: October 2024 - September 2028

Who is involved?

With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, the American Samoa Department of Port Administration is assessing and removing abandoned and derelict vessels from the marine environment of Tutuila, American Samoa. The Port Administration is also collaborating with the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources to monitor removal sites.

What is the project and why is it important?

American Samoa, a U.S. territory located in the South Pacific, boasts beautiful coral reefs and mangroves that provide essential habitat to various wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. These critical nursery habitats face numerous threats from climate change and other human-caused impacts, including large marine debris like abandoned and derelict vessels.

These vessels can seriously harm fragile ecosystems over time as the vessel shifts and degrades with ocean currents and tides, breaking corals in its path and leeching harmful chemicals into the water. In addition to ecological damage, abandoned and derelict vessels impact aesthetic and cultural values, and present navigational obstacles for maritime transportation.

To address the challenging and complex issue of abandoned and derelict vessels in American Samoa, the Port Administration is removing three vessels from the nearshore waters of Tutuila. One vessel is located on the reef flat of Nu’uuli Pala special management area, and the other two in Pago Pago Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The project team is conducting an assessment of a 400,000 pound steel fishing vessel submerged in the Pago Pago Harbor for potential removal efforts in the future.

In collaboration with the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, the Port Administration is performing pre- and post-removal water quality and habitat monitoring of project sites to evaluate site recovery. Project partners are also leading community shoreline cleanups and conducting targeted outreach to local mariners about the impacts of abandoned and derelict vessels on the environment that they rely on for economic, sustenance, and cultural practices.

Overall, the project aims to enhance ecosystem recovery as well as aesthetic and cultural resources for the people of American Samoa by removing up to 800,000 pounds of vessel debris from the nearshore waters of Tutuila.

For more information about this project, visit the Marine Debris Program Clearinghouse.