In January 2009, Rose Atoll Marine National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation. The marine environment has an unusually high abundance of crustose coralline algae in its crystal clear waters, a key component of a healthy coral reef ecosystem. The marine portions of Rose Atoll Marine National Monument are undergoing a process now to be added to Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary. As Rose Atoll and other parts of the territory are added to the existing sanctuary, it will undergo a name change in 2012 and become the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

There has been much interest in recent years in extending the protection provided by existing sanctuaries to adjacent or nearby areas. In 2008 the Davidson Seamount became the first seamount protected in the United States when it was included within the boundaries of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The addition of Davidson Seamount was recognized both nationally and internationally, as less than 0.1% of the world’s seamounts have been explored and relatively few protected. Similar extension efforts, requested by elected officials and community leaders, are underway in Thunder Bay, Gulf of the Farallones, and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuaries.