Rose Atoll, sometimes called Rose Island, or Motu O Manu by people of the nearby Manu'a Islands, is an oceanic atoll within the U.S. territory of American Samoa. It is an uninhabited wildlife refuge. It is the southernmost point in the United States. The land area is 0.214 km² (52.8 acres). The total area of the atoll, including lagoon and reef flat amounts to 5 km². Just west of the northernmost point is a channel into the lagoon, about 40 meters wide. There are two islets on the northwestern rim of the reef, larger Rose Island in the east (3.5 m high) and unvegetated Sand Island in the north (1.5 m high).

The first documented sighting by a Westerner was by Louis de Freycinet in 1819. Soon afterwards, in 1824, it was seen by the expedition under Otto von Kotzebue, who named it Kordinkov after his First Lieutenant.

Fish & Wildlife

Rose Atoll contains the largest populations of giant clams, nesting seabirds and rare reef fish in all of American Samoa. The fish population is unique from the rest of the region due to a high concentration of carnivorous fish and low concentration of herbivorous fish. Almost 270 different species of fish have been recorded in the last 15 years. Tuna, mahi-mahi, billfish, barracuda and sharks reside outside the lagoon. In deeper waters, tunicatestalked crinoid have been spotted by scuba expeditions. Sea mammals such as the endangered humpback whales tenella genus of dolphin also use the waters.

The atoll is a critical nesting habitat for the threatened green turtle and the endangered hawksbill turtle. The turtles migrate between American Samoa and other Pacific Island nations. Their nesting season is between the months of August and February.