Welcome to Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Rose Atoll is nearly square, with the ocean-side slopes about 1 mile in length. It is one of the smallest atolls in the world, consisting of two low sandy islets, Rose and Sand. Each is located on a coralline algal reef rim enclosing a lagoon. A single, natural pass with a minimum depth of 8 to 48 feet deep links the lagoon to the sea. The lagoon is a maximum of 1.2 miles wide and up to about 65 feet deep, and includes 1,575 acres. Rose and Sand Islands cover areas of about 14 and 7 acres respectively. Rose Atoll is part of the Territory of American Samoa and was established as a National Wildlife Refuge by cooperative agreement between the Government of American Samoa and the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife (a predecessor of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) on August 24, 1973. For
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