Six ASCC students gave up their vacation time to participate in the Quantitative Underwater Ecological Surveying Techniques (QUEST) field course, held from March 7th-12th in Nu’uuli uta, with surveys conducted at Afao.
ASCC students were joined by two ASCC faculty, Jameson Newtson and Kelley Anderson Tagarino, and University of Hawai‘i Manoa Marine Option Program coordinator, Jeffrey Kuwabara.
Many local agency staff donated their time to help students in QUEST gain new skills in monitoring the health of our coral reefs and reef fish.
By the end of the week, participants reported an improvement in their surveying skills and knowledge of the marine environment.
“I am happy to say I saw significant improvement in each of the participants’ in-water skills and data collection and management,” stated instructor Newtson.
“This is our sixth year holding QUEST and we continue to receive excellent reviews from local agency staff and student participants.
This year, two previous QUEST participants returned as team leaders, acting as mentors and guiding the first-time QUEST students through the week of intensive studies.
Anastasia Carruthers, a team leader said, “I finally feel confident using the statistical tests we have been taught. Helping other students learn these skills allowed me to understand them better.”
The American Samoa QUEST is modeled after the highly successful course of the same name offered by the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.
Students spend the week studying methods for counting fish, algae, corals, and other invertebrates.
After studying these practices, they take to the water, working in groups collecting data to answer a research question each group comes up with.
The data is then analyzed and presented by each group at the end of the week.
Partners from the ASCC Community and Natural Resources (CNR), ASCC Marine Science Program, National Park of American Samoa, Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, Coral Reef Advisory Group, National Weather Service, and the University of Hawai‘i Marine Option Program assisted with instruction and in conducting in-water surveys.
Several local agencies donated time, materials, and services to make QUEST possible, including the Office of the Governor, ASCC CNR, UH Manoa Marine Option Program, NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, and Nu’uuli Village.
The NOAA National Marine Fisheries Pacific Island Regional Office funds the American Samoa QUEST. On behalf of the Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program, ASCC and CNR, the instructors sincerely thank these sponsors for making QUEST possible.
