WEBVTT 00:05.105 --> 00:17.050 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% Far out in the South Pacific, there s a tropical island paradise. Lush rainforests 00:17.150 --> 00:24.457 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% cover steep volcanic peaks, and vibrant coral reefs hug the picture-perfect coastline. 00:24.557 --> 00:30.330 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% It's a beautiful place. 00:30.430 --> 00:35.902 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% Known as the Islands of Sacred Earth, the territory of American Samoa is one of 00:36.002 --> 00:43.309 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% the United States most remote outposts. Samoa s 3,000-year-old culture is thought 00:43.410 --> 00:45.612 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% to be Polynesia s oldest. 00:45.712 --> 00:53.219 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% There's a song in American Samoa, they say we are the people from the sun. 00:53.319 --> 01:00.527 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% People here in American Samoa, they're very good people. Friendly people. 01:00.627 --> 01:03.029 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% We have such an intact traditional culture here. 01:03.129 --> 01:09.969 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Here in the Pacific islands, coral reefs are so integral to the culture. Every facet of 01:10.070 --> 01:14.140 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% life in a Pacific island is touched by reefs in some way. 01:14.240 --> 01:18.344 align:left position:70% line:89% size:20% The reefs in American Samoa are highly diverse. 01:18.445 --> 01:24.918 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% We have over 250 known species of coral in the territory. 01:25.018 --> 01:29.923 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Some of the largest coral is actually found here, which is something very unique. 01:30.023 --> 01:35.829 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% While coral reefs around the world are in serious decline, American Samoa s reefs 01:35.929 --> 01:41.434 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% have so far been relatively resilient in the face of local and global stressors. 01:41.534 --> 01:47.107 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% It's something that we continuously monitor because that could change at any time. This 01:47.207 --> 01:51.444 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% is almost like a living classroom that we can come and study and then take that information 01:51.544 --> 01:59.786 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% somewhere else that maybe is suffering more quickly, so, we can learn a lot from here. 01:59.886 --> 02:04.657 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% What makes the territory s coral reefs more resilient than others? And how might this 02:04.757 --> 02:31.050 align:left position:77.5% line:89% size:12.5% help corals that are in decline elsewhere? 02:31.151 --> 02:36.623 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Major funding for this program was provided by The Batchelor Foundation, encouraging people 02:36.723 --> 02:43.596 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% to preserve and protect America's underwater resources, and by The Arthur Vining Davis 02:43.696 --> 02:50.503 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Foundations, strengthening America's future through education. Additional funding was 02:50.603 --> 03:05.285 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% provided by The William J. & Tina Rosenberg Foundation and by the Do Unto Others Trust. 03:05.385 --> 03:11.191 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% Located halfway between Hawai i and New Zealand, the U.S. territory of American Samoa 03:11.291 --> 03:20.533 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% is home to America s only National Marine Sanctuary and National Park south of the equator. 03:20.633 --> 03:27.073 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% The National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is located in the cradle of Polynesia s 03:27.173 --> 03:33.379 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% oldest culture. It's about five hours south of Hawai i by plane. 03:33.479 --> 03:43.189 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% And it spans over 13,000 square miles, making it one of the largest as well. 03:43.289 --> 03:49.429 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% To better understand and protect the sanctuary s spectacular coral reefs, Research Coordinator 03:49.529 --> 03:55.401 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% Valerie Brown is implementing a monitoring program to document the reefs condition 03:55.501 --> 03:58.838 align:left position:75% line:89% size:15% and any changes that might occur over time. 03:58.938 --> 04:06.746 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% And to be able to provide a response if we see some sort of acute impact. It's really 04:06.846 --> 04:11.584 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% important, especially as reefs are changing so quickly, to be able to adaptively manage 04:11.684 --> 04:16.756 align:left position:80% line:89% size:10% the reef ecosystem and protected areas. 04:16.856 --> 04:21.461 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% Scientists conduct monthly surveys on the reefs in the sanctuary areas around the territory s 04:21.561 --> 04:23.129 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% main island, Tutuila. 04:23.229 --> 04:32.071 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% And when we're doing that, we're being pulled behind the boat on towboards. 04:32.171 --> 04:39.379 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% So we're looking for coral bleaching, coral disease, crown-of-thorns starfish or snail 04:39.479 --> 04:47.620 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% predation, and marine debris. 04:47.720 --> 04:53.059 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% Each year, the sanctuary science team also conducts in-depth surveys of the reef along 04:53.159 --> 04:56.562 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% predetermined transect lines. 04:56.663 --> 05:05.071 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Hanae, she's looking at coral species, their size and also their health for each of the 05:05.171 --> 05:10.843 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% corals within quadrats in each of our transects. While she's doing that, I am taking benthic 05:10.943 --> 05:15.381 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% quadrat photos. So we are getting photographic documentation of the bottom and then we're 05:15.481 --> 05:20.553 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% able to post-process that and look at coral cover, algae cover, and that gives us a really 05:20.653 --> 05:24.857 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% good understanding of what's happening with the coral communities and the overall reef 05:24.957 --> 05:29.829 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% health. So, are there changes in algae, changes in coral, changes in the size structure of 05:29.929 --> 05:31.731 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% the coral community? 05:31.831 --> 05:37.070 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% In addition, Valerie is taking hundreds of photos of the reef that can later be stitched 05:37.170 --> 05:40.873 align:left position:85% line:89% size:5% together into a large photo mosaic. 05:40.973 --> 05:45.144 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% And that gives us a 3D model of the reef that we're hopefully going to be able to use to 05:45.244 --> 05:50.783 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% assess structural complexity and then look for changes over time. 05:50.883 --> 05:57.323 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% And the monitoring program doesn t just rely on visual data. In the remote and pristine 05:57.423 --> 06:04.864 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% Fagatele Bay the experts installed an ecological acoustic recorder that captures the soundscape 06:04.964 --> 06:06.766 align:left position:35% line:89% size:55% of the reef. 06:06.866 --> 06:11.938 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% What this does is it captures all the noises on the reef 24 hours a day. Similar to walking 06:12.038 --> 06:17.977 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% into a forest and you hear birds, if you dive into a reef, you should hear shrimp and fish, 06:18.077 --> 06:22.949 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% all making noise, there's snapping and there's grunting. The noises on a reef can really 06:23.049 --> 06:27.687 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% tell you a lot about whether it's healthy or whether it's impacted. It can also tell 06:27.787 --> 06:32.658 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% us if there's vessels coming into the reef. And so having that information will improve 06:32.759 --> 06:36.796 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% our ability to manage reefs and to understand some of the things that are happening when 06:36.896 --> 06:39.031 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% we're not there. 06:39.132 --> 06:44.203 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% Just how valuable it is to monitor changes on a reef over time is evident in the village 06:44.303 --> 06:47.907 align:left position:77.5% line:89% size:12.5% of A a, across from the Pago Pago Harbor. 06:48.007 --> 06:55.248 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% The A a transect is actually the longest coral reef survey transect that's resurveyed 06:55.348 --> 07:04.257 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% in the world. So it's a really exciting thing for the territory. And in 1917, Alfred Mayor 07:04.357 --> 07:08.594 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% set this transect up and we've monitored it ever since. 07:08.694 --> 07:14.333 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% It's something that we are proud of because it's right in our village. We're trying to 07:14.434 --> 07:19.272 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% preserve this coral here because it's very important. 07:19.372 --> 07:24.544 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% It's 247 meters long, this transect, and it runs from the shore to the crest. So it's 07:24.644 --> 07:29.282 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5% a huge area of this reef flat. 07:29.382 --> 07:35.221 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% Since Alfred Mayor first started his monitoring, this reef flat has been impacted by a variety 07:35.321 --> 07:38.224 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5% of stressors. 07:38.324 --> 07:43.095 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% After World War II, the harbor had a significant increase in development. We had two canneries 07:43.196 --> 07:48.201 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% come in, we had dredging happening. We had different sedimentation and pollution. We 07:48.301 --> 07:52.171 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% can track those changes in those coral reef communities. And we didn't see any recovery 07:52.271 --> 07:55.441 align:left position:87.5% line:89% size:2.5% after that for about forty years. 07:55.541 --> 08:02.248 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% With the environmental regulation they started diverting the pipes away, the wastewater, 08:02.348 --> 08:10.490 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% more out the harbor. So by 1990, we started to see the recovery of the reef and that's 08:10.590 --> 08:18.931 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% a good sign that our efforts to manage our water quality is working. 08:19.031 --> 08:24.570 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% Switching from septic tanks to municipal sewer lines will further improve the water quality 08:24.670 --> 08:26.506 align:left position:35% line:89% size:55% in the bay. 08:26.606 --> 08:33.913 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% When I became a representative almost fourteen years ago, one of my goals is to have a sewer 08:34.013 --> 08:42.955 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% line for this village, never was before. Now, half of my village is already functioning 08:43.055 --> 08:50.363 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% on the sewer line and we're going to finish. The coral is very, very dear to my heart. 08:50.463 --> 08:56.469 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% The Coral Reef Advisory Group, a collaboration of seven local agencies, is working closely 08:56.569 --> 09:01.841 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% with the A a village and village council to protect and restore the reef. 09:01.941 --> 09:08.014 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% This village is well known for the warriors in the old days. 09:08.114 --> 09:12.018 align:left position:67.5% line:89% size:22.5% We're going to work together on coral restoration. 09:12.118 --> 09:18.958 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% I like to see a healthy coral reef. I love this village. That's why I try to do the best 09:19.058 --> 09:23.930 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% for our village. 09:24.030 --> 09:30.570 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% Samoans have their own creation story of a God they believe in, Tagaloa-lagi was his 09:30.670 --> 09:37.043 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% name. People were actually asked by Tagaloa to really take care of these special places, 09:37.143 --> 09:43.482 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% the ocean, because these places will sustain them throughout their livelihood. And the 09:43.583 --> 09:50.823 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Samoan people are very much dependent on the ocean for their food source. 09:50.923 --> 09:58.030 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% There are a number of reasons why reefs may be doing better in American Samoa than elsewhere. 09:58.130 --> 10:03.569 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% The islands are far removed from any other landmass, and there is minimal industry or 10:03.669 --> 10:05.438 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% tourism. 10:05.538 --> 10:12.979 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% We don't have much major development in the territory. All land is protected through our 10:13.079 --> 10:20.019 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% land tenure system, which are the matais, chiefs of the family, who are caretaker. 10:20.119 --> 10:25.124 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Lands on island are not for sale. Lands are assigned to family members to build their 10:25.224 --> 10:28.260 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% homes or cultivate. 10:28.361 --> 10:35.635 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% So that's sort of protected, you know, these lands from outsiders and all the development. 10:35.735 --> 10:41.040 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% So that help minimize direct impact from land to sea. 10:41.140 --> 10:47.680 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% While local managers can t control the global stressors caused by climate change, they can 10:47.780 --> 10:53.085 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% help reduce localized impacts that harm the coral reefs. 10:53.185 --> 10:58.391 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Things like pollution coming from villages, sewage that's not being managed properly, 10:58.491 --> 11:03.262 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% illegal dumping that may be getting into the ocean. And then also managing the watersheds 11:03.362 --> 11:08.801 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% above the coral reefs, which we find is a huge contributor to stressors. 11:08.901 --> 11:13.472 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% So that when things on a global scale, like, you know, rising sea temperatures or sea level 11:13.572 --> 11:18.077 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% or the frequency of cyclones, increases, they're in a better position to protect themselves 11:18.177 --> 11:22.014 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5% from that. 11:22.114 --> 11:27.920 align:left position:82.5% line:83% size:7.5% Thriving reefs aren t American Samoa s only claim to fame. The territory is also 11:28.020 --> 11:35.995 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% home to some of the world s largest documented corals, found in the waters off Ta , about 11:36.095 --> 11:38.798 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% 70 miles east of Tutuila. 11:38.898 --> 11:42.601 align:left position:75% line:89% size:15% It's also known as the Valley of the Giants. 11:42.702 --> 11:49.442 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% In 1995 scientists described the first famous coral colony, which is located inside the 11:49.542 --> 11:51.177 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% National Marine Sanctuary. 11:51.277 --> 11:59.385 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% It is recorded to be around 500 years old. It's also known as Big Momma. 11:59.485 --> 12:08.594 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% This is a very large, massive porites colony that is about 23 feet tall and 135 feet around. 12:08.694 --> 12:13.666 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% When you're up next to it, it kind of dwarfs you. It's as big as a house almost. And so 12:13.766 --> 12:16.202 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% it s just spectacular. 12:16.302 --> 12:22.174 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% It's made it through these bleaching events recently and overall it's in really good shape. 12:22.274 --> 12:29.181 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% And it turns out Big Momma isn t the only large coral in the Valley of the Giants. 12:29.281 --> 12:33.919 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% Recently the National Marine Sanctuary, along with the National Park Service and the local 12:34.019 --> 12:39.558 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% agencies through the Coral Reef Advisory Group, conducted a survey around Ta to look 12:39.658 --> 12:46.799 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% for other large corals. And so we towed all around the western, north and eastern sides 12:46.899 --> 12:54.340 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% of Ta and documented all of the large corals there. Every time they saw a coral 12:54.440 --> 12:59.345 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% that met the specifications of over two meters across they would then notify people on the 12:59.445 --> 13:05.451 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% boat to take a waypoint so we were able to map all these very large porites colonies. 13:05.551 --> 13:09.388 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% What's really exciting is our study revealed that we have several hundred colonies that 13:09.488 --> 13:13.492 align:left position:82.5% line:89% size:7.5% are over six, seven feet in diameter. 13:13.592 --> 13:19.498 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% While measuring some of these large corals in the fall of 2019, the research team documented 13:19.598 --> 13:28.207 align:left position:67.5% line:83% size:22.5% a coral head inside the National Park of American Samoa that is even larger than Big Momma. 13:28.307 --> 13:35.648 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% That coral is about 26 feet high, about 226 feet around, and is quite spectacular. 13:35.748 --> 13:42.521 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% It was phenomenal. It's incredibly healthy. It s like nothing I've ever seen before. 13:42.621 --> 13:47.893 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% So this now makes this the largest coral that we have in the territory and one of the largest 13:47.993 --> 13:52.131 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% corals in the world. This is something that is extraordinary in science, these corals 13:52.231 --> 13:58.037 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% are really slow growing. So this genus grows potentially one centimeter in a year. 13:58.137 --> 14:05.077 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% It really makes me feel, you know, proud of our islands. We're trying to find where is 14:05.177 --> 14:11.217 align:left position:75% line:89% size:15% that uniqueness from, why, why our islands? 14:11.317 --> 14:23.529 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% The same species of porites coral is also found in the nearby Ofu pools. This stunningly 14:23.629 --> 14:29.435 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% beautiful shallow lagoon provides scientists with a living laboratory to study the impacts 14:29.535 --> 14:33.272 align:left position:80% line:89% size:10% of rising water temperatures on corals. 14:33.372 --> 14:37.610 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% It doesn't seem to bleach as often as other reefs around the world are doing. 14:37.710 --> 14:42.047 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% Those reefs can see changes of up to six degrees Celsius in a day. So those corals have had 14:42.147 --> 14:46.986 align:left position:65% line:83% size:25% to adapt to such significant changes in temperature. And it takes just one degree Celsius change 14:47.086 --> 14:53.792 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% in that temperature for a week to induce the stress response that we refer to as bleaching. 14:53.893 --> 14:59.665 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% Coral bleaching happens when water temperatures are too high and corals expel the symbiotic 14:59.765 --> 15:05.704 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% algae living in their tissues. These algae make up about 90 percent of a coral s food 15:05.804 --> 15:10.843 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% source, and without them the corals eventually starve. 15:10.943 --> 15:15.314 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% They can survive like this for a short period of time. If the temperatures don't come back 15:15.414 --> 15:20.152 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% to the normal level, that's when you start seeing mortality. 15:20.252 --> 15:26.425 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% The reef in Ofu actually gets cut off from the rest of the ocean at low tide. And so 15:26.525 --> 15:32.731 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% there is a theory that we've contemplated for years that the reef has evolved over time 15:32.831 --> 15:40.839 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% to be better suited to warmer water. And maybe that's why it's more resilient. 15:40.940 --> 15:47.579 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% Record high temperatures between 2015 and 2017 led to severe bleaching on reefs across 15:47.680 --> 15:55.854 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% the Pacific Ocean, including in American Samoa. In many places large swaths of centuries old 15:55.955 --> 15:57.957 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% reefs were lost. 15:58.057 --> 16:02.728 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% We definitely did a lot better and didn't have as much mortality following that. 16:02.828 --> 16:08.200 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% What's so special about the reefs here in American Samoa that they're able to recover 16:08.300 --> 16:11.770 align:left position:70% line:89% size:20% from repeated coral bleaching and other threats? 16:11.870 --> 16:15.941 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% By looking at those resilient reefs, we can determine better what species might be more 16:16.041 --> 16:20.612 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% suited for things like transplantation or other things that managers could do in the 16:20.713 --> 16:26.251 align:left position:85% line:89% size:5% future to help coral reefs survive. 16:26.352 --> 16:31.056 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Rising temperatures are just one of several climate change-related impacts that are threatening 16:31.156 --> 16:39.565 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% coral reefs worldwide. Climate change is caused by increased levels of atmospheric carbon-dioxide, 16:39.665 --> 16:48.073 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% or CO , brought on primarily by the burning of fossil fuels. 16:48.173 --> 16:53.245 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% Concentrations of CO in the atmosphere are continuously measured at four remote U.S. 16:53.345 --> 16:59.718 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% atmospheric baseline observatories, including one in American Samoa. 16:59.818 --> 17:07.359 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% The oldest one is on the slopes of Mauna Loa. That was founded in 1958, with the South Pole 17:07.459 --> 17:14.099 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% a couple months later. And then our other sister station up in Barrow, Alaska, in 1973 17:14.199 --> 17:22.508 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% and then finally American Samoa in 1974. We measure over 60 different chemical compounds. 17:22.608 --> 17:28.247 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% Everything from ones you hear every day, like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to the ozone 17:28.347 --> 17:40.392 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% layer, to hydrocarbons, to CFCs, to oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere. 17:40.492 --> 17:46.532 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% When CO concentrations were first recorded in 1958, the average level of atmospheric 17:46.632 --> 17:54.506 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% CO was 315 parts per million. Since then, levels are increasing more rapidly than ever 17:54.606 --> 17:59.244 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5% before in earth s history. 17:59.344 --> 18:06.785 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% Last year the average was 412 parts per million. So it has been going up rather quickly. 18:06.885 --> 18:12.157 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% The data collected at the observatories is sent to a home base in Boulder, Colorado, 18:12.257 --> 18:14.526 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% where it s analyzed. 18:14.626 --> 18:19.631 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% I take weekly glass flasks for the Carbon Cycle Group here. They measure the CO in 18:19.731 --> 18:25.671 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% the atmosphere. They have a machine here that measures it 24/7, 365 days a week. But we 18:25.771 --> 18:31.276 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% still want to take these glass samples, these flasks, that I send back to Boulder weekly 18:31.376 --> 18:36.348 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% so they can measure them there, make sure the machine has given right numbers and then 18:36.448 --> 18:41.620 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% they can use more sensitive instruments they have out there as well to get a more precise 18:41.720 --> 18:43.522 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% reading. 18:43.622 --> 18:49.895 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% As levels of carbon-dioxide increase in the atmosphere, the oceans also take up more CO . 18:49.995 --> 18:55.934 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% It makes the oceans more acidic because the ocean absorbs that carbon dioxide and makes 18:56.034 --> 19:02.407 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% carbonic acid. And that's really bad news for corals and other organisms that secrete 19:02.508 --> 19:07.045 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% shells that are made out of calcium carbonate because it makes it harder for them to create 19:07.146 --> 19:13.285 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% their shells and their skeletons. The reefs in American Samoa are helping to block storm 19:13.385 --> 19:21.527 align:left position:67.5% line:83% size:22.5% waves and tsunami waves that impact the shoreline. And so with ocean acidification, if corals 19:21.627 --> 19:25.697 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% slow down their growth, then they're not going to be able to keep up with sea level rise 19:25.797 --> 19:30.802 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% and that protective value is going to decline. And that's going to have big impacts for the 19:30.903 --> 19:36.542 align:left position:82.5% line:89% size:7.5% human communities here on the island. 19:36.642 --> 19:42.614 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% To measure acidity levels in local waters, the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program teamed 19:42.714 --> 19:48.787 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% up with the National Marine Sanctuary and other agencies in 2019 and installed a monitoring 19:48.887 --> 19:52.624 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5% buoy in Fagatele Bay. 19:52.724 --> 19:57.829 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% And that's going to give us real time monitoring of key parameters of ocean acidification over 19:57.930 --> 20:04.303 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% time. American Samoa has the highest aragonite saturation levels measured in any of the 48 20:04.403 --> 20:09.942 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% islands that are monitored through the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program in the Pacific. 20:10.042 --> 20:15.314 align:left position:67.5% line:83% size:22.5% That Aragonite is what is used by these organisms to build their skeletons. Having that readily 20:15.414 --> 20:20.619 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% available may mean that they're just able to battle some of these impacts a little bit 20:20.719 --> 20:24.856 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% better cause they don't have to spend as much energy building their skeletons. I think having 20:24.957 --> 20:31.296 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% the MAPCO2 buoy here is going to help understand some of those processes better. Coupled with 20:31.396 --> 20:35.667 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% the biological data that we're collecting and the acoustic data that we're collecting, 20:35.767 --> 20:41.373 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% it should allow us to have a really robust picture, say in a decade, by putting all of 20:41.473 --> 20:46.979 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% that together and looking at whether there are changes in the coral communities, in the 20:47.079 --> 20:53.118 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% sound profiles, as we see changes in pH and carbon dioxide chemistry in the water in Fagatele. 20:53.218 --> 20:58.790 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% I don't want to paint too rosy of a picture. The reefs here are doing relatively well, 20:58.890 --> 21:02.060 align:left position:77.5% line:89% size:12.5% but all of that could change very quickly. 21:02.160 --> 21:07.165 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% While the coral reefs in American Samoa have so far proven more resilient than others to 21:07.266 --> 21:14.006 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% coral bleaching and ocean acidification, parts of the island territory are already feeling 21:14.106 --> 21:23.448 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% the effects of another climate change impact sea level rise. Over the last decade sea 21:23.548 --> 21:29.288 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% levels have risen by more than seven inches, affecting the residents of Aunu u, a 21:29.388 --> 21:40.032 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% small island just a short ferry ride away from Tutuila. 21:40.132 --> 21:47.539 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% It's beautiful. It really is peaceful, and you know, the people are nice. Everyone's, 21:47.639 --> 21:49.341 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% you know, welcoming. 21:49.441 --> 21:55.213 align:left position:82.5% line:83% size:7.5% Aunu u is at the forefront of all the climate change impacts in American Samoa. 21:55.314 --> 21:59.685 align:left position:80% line:89% size:10% The sea level rise is very obvious here. 21:59.785 --> 22:07.092 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% (foreign language) Our water well is now both saltwater and freshwater mixed together. It 22:07.192 --> 22:14.299 align:left position:77.5% line:89% size:12.5% has more of a salty taste than freshwater. 22:14.399 --> 22:22.274 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% At certain times waves wash over the roads and erode the shoreline as well as flood the 22:22.374 --> 22:26.278 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% power plant on the southwestern side of the island. 22:26.378 --> 22:35.821 align:left position:65% line:83% size:25% (foreign language) We have now started constructing seawalls on the side where the power plant 22:35.921 --> 22:50.202 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% is and hopefully can hold off the intrusion of waves and saltwater from also entering 22:50.302 --> 22:55.307 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% our taro plantation. 22:55.407 --> 23:00.078 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Aunu u is famous for its taro. 23:00.178 --> 23:07.252 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% In my opinion, not just me though, Aunu u, it has the best taro anywhere in the Pacific. 23:07.352 --> 23:14.459 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Taro is a type of starch. You would compare it to yams, and it's a source of food as well 23:14.559 --> 23:16.695 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5% as income. 23:16.795 --> 23:23.101 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% In recent years, saltwater has been seeping into the fields from below. Local islander 23:23.201 --> 23:28.006 align:left position:77.5% line:89% size:12.5% Sinalei Ta ala is researching the problem. 23:28.106 --> 23:33.044 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% Some of the local farmers that I've talked to, they've known for quite a long while that 23:33.145 --> 23:39.418 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% the saltwater's in the water. So I found like a measurement of salinity about two to six 23:39.518 --> 23:45.290 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% parts per thousand. And so I fear that sometime in the future, you know, the sea level is 23:45.390 --> 23:51.363 align:left position:70% line:83% size:20% still rising, so it's going to be like a bigger problem because the taro cannot grow in salt 23:51.463 --> 23:58.036 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% water. I've planned to stay here for the rest of my life, but, like, it looks like that's 23:58.136 --> 24:06.611 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% not going to be possible in maybe 20 years, and, yeah, it is nerve wracking to think of, 24:06.711 --> 24:11.550 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% you know, my home being gone sometime in the future, submerged in water because there is 24:11.650 --> 24:20.358 align:left position:72.5% line:89% size:17.5% no place like home, and I don't want to leave. 24:20.459 --> 24:27.632 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% It is real and it is happening, and time is running out. So for families in the South 24:27.732 --> 24:34.973 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Pacific, it's just very, very important that the rest of the world knows what we're going 24:35.073 --> 24:39.744 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% through and what our children will have to go through. It's gonna impact so much more 24:39.845 --> 24:46.084 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% than just our shorelines. A whole way of life is at stake. 24:46.184 --> 24:50.288 align:left position:72.5% line:83% size:17.5% We have an obligation to protect these areas, not only for the environment, but also for 24:50.388 --> 24:54.459 align:left position:75% line:89% size:15% the people that need these areas to survive. 24:54.559 --> 24:58.430 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Part of our job with the sanctuary is to try to make sure that those reefs are as resilient 24:58.530 --> 25:03.635 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% and healthy as possible, not just to protect the biodiversity and the reefs themselves, 25:03.735 --> 25:08.874 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% but also to protect those communities that are so vulnerable to climate change impacts 25:08.974 --> 25:13.144 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65% and sea level rise. 25:13.245 --> 25:22.120 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Coral reefs are integral part of life on the islands. It protects our shoreline, but also 25:22.220 --> 25:28.426 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% provide food for our families. Coral reef are part of our rich culture and tradition. 25:28.527 --> 25:37.035 align:left position:80% line:83% size:10% Fa asamoa, or the Samoan way of living, values respect, because we believe that God 25:37.135 --> 25:41.840 align:left position:77.5% line:83% size:12.5% gave us the resource to protect and to use properly. 25:41.940 --> 25:47.946 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% And our hope is that we continue to protect the marine ecosystem for both current and 25:48.046 --> 26:20.178 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5% future generation. 26:20.278 --> 26:25.750 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Major funding for this program was provided by The Batchelor Foundation, encouraging people 26:25.850 --> 26:32.724 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% to preserve and protect America's underwater resources, and by The Arthur Vining Davis 26:32.824 --> 26:39.631 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% Foundations, strengthening America's future through education. Additional funding was 26:39.731 --> 26:43.731 align:left position:75% line:83% size:15% provided by The William J. & Tina Rosenberg Foundation and by the Do Unto Others Trust.