Deep-Sea Mining Fight: Fa’asao Amerika Samoa and the Conservation Council for Hawaii have sued the U.S. government over deep-sea mining plans near American Samoa, challenging claims that the lease would not harm threatened and endangered marine species—species many Samoans view as sacred, including whales, sea turtles, and sharks. Local Voice on Federal Decisions: The American Samoa Democratic Party backed the Fono’s resolution opposing the proposed offshore lease sale, urging federal decision-makers to protect ocean resources, the environment, and local way of life. Public Education Push: The American Samoa Government launched deepseainfo.as.gov to share science, documents, and updates on deep-sea minerals, with weekly additions and interactive learning—while reiterating the territory does not support commercial extraction at this time. Marine Life & Culture: The Western Pacific Fishery Council is calling for green sea turtle status reviews in Guam, CNMI, and American Samoa to support traditional cultural harvests. Disaster Preparedness: Seventeen years after the 2009 tsunami, Samoa recognized 17 villages for strengthening tsunami readiness, with a focus on village-level warnings and evacuation planning. Flood Risk Tools: NOAA expanded its Flood Inundation Mapping tool to cover nearly 100% of the U.S., including territories, to help communities prepare for river flooding. Volcano Monitoring: USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff completed maintenance on American Samoa’s volcano monitoring network and did K-12 outreach with local emergency partners.