goatfish
Goatfish
It was a horrific scene according to villagers, where thousands of dead juvenile fish washed ashore and were laid out on one side of Amouli Beach.

Employees of the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) were dispatched to the area after concerned villagers called.

Thousands of dead juvenile fish were found on the shores of Amouli village this past Wednesday. Exactly what caused it is unknown at this time.
© Ekueta Schuster/DMWRThousands of dead juvenile fish were found on the shores of Amouli village this past Wednesday. Exactly what caused it is unknown at this time.
Samoa News spoke to two DMWR employees who confirmed that samples of the water have been shipped off island for analysis and testing, to determine if there are nitrites, or ammonia in the water — pollutants that may have contributed to Wednesday's unexpected event.

The group of dead fish included species of rabbitfish (lo), squirrelfish (malau), and goatfish (i'a sina).

DMWR's Alama Tua explained that DMWR staff biologists would test the fish to determine the cause of death. The American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (AS-EPA) is also on board, assisting DMWR in trying to find out what happened.