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Learn the wildlife of marine protected areas

Learn the wildlife of the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa

AS

385 species have research-grade observations in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, from fish and seabirds to the life along the shore.

iNaturalist's place for American Samoa's marine waters, which take in the sanctuary's six protected areas.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica13
  2. Great Frigatebird Fregata minor11
  3. Red-footed Booby Sula sula9
  4. Brown Booby Sula leucogaster7
  5. Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis5
  6. White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus5
  7. Black Noddy Anous minutus5
  8. Pacific Reef Heron Egretta sacra5
  9. Brown Noddy Anous stolidus4
  10. Samoan Starling Aplonis atrifusca4

Plants

  1. False staghorn fern Dicranopteris linearis2
  2. Sea hibiscus Hibiscus tiliaceus2
  3. Fish Poison Tree Barringtonia asiatica2
  4. Beach Sheoak Casuarina equisetifolia1
  5. Noni Morinda citrifolia1
  6. Ti Cordyline fruticosa1
  7. Cactus tree alga Caulerpa cupressoides1
  8. Ivy gourd Coccinia grandis1
  9. Shampoo ginger Zingiber zerumbet1
  10. Lolot Pepper Piper sarmentosum1

Mammals

  1. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae3
  2. Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris2
  3. Common Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata1

Insects

  1. Northern Plushback Palpada vinetorum1
  2. Bean Leafroller Omiodes diemenalis1
  3. Euploea lewinii1
  4. Yellow Oriental Paper Wasp Polistes olivaceus1
  5. Green Jewel Fly Ornidia obesa1
  6. Axiagastus cambelli1
  7. Cerambyrhynchus schonherri1

Fish

  1. Striped Surgeonfish Acanthurus lineatus55
  2. Reticulate Butterflyfish Chaetodon reticulatus27
  3. Convict Surgeonfish Acanthurus triostegus20
  4. Speckled Butterflyfish Chaetodon citrinellus19
  5. South Seas Demoiselle Chrysiptera taupou19
  6. Whitecheek Surgeonfish Acanthurus nigricans18
  7. Achilles Tang Acanthurus achilles17
  8. Whitespotted Surgeonfish Acanthurus guttatus17
  9. Humbug Dascyllus Dascyllus aruanus17
  10. Checkerboard Wrasse Halichoeres hortulanus15

Mollusks

  1. Small Giant Clam Tridacna maxima7
  2. Noah's Giant Clam Tridacna noae2
  3. Day Octopus Octopus cyanea1
  4. Pustulose Wart Slug Phyllidiella pustulosa1
  5. Gold Ring Cowrie Monetaria annulus1
  6. Tutuila Tree Snail Eua zebrina1
  7. Reticulated Sap Sucking Slug Elysia rufescens1
  8. Striped Phyllidiopsis Phyllidiopsis xishaensis1
  9. Princely Cone Conus aulicus1
  10. Stylocheilus longicauda1

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. KnowKi is not affiliated with NOAA or any area's managers. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.