This document details the appendices for the vulnerability assessment. It examines topics such as stakeholder summary notes, climate data inventory, sources, and relevant literature.
The data includes tide gauge readings from before 1950 until the present in Pago Pago.
Flask CO2 and isotopic data sets taken at American Samoa: Latitude 14.2°S Longitude 170.6°W Elevation 30m. These data are subject to revision based on recalibration of standard gases.
The Weather Research and Forecast model (WRF) utilizes triply-nested meshes with varying horizontal resolutions (20 km, 4 km, and 0.8 km) to cover tropical and subtropical regions. The atmospheric driving fields, sourced from NASA's Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis and NOAA's sea surface temperature, include variables like temperature, wind, geopotential height, and water vapor. The Pseudo-Global-Warming method incorporates global warming signals from 12 CMIP5 models for future runs, spanning from January 1st, 2080 to December 31st, 2099, under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios.
A quantitative assessment of Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary in American Samoa was conducted to establish a biological baseline for future comparisons. Surveys of algae, corals, macroinvertebrates, and fish were performed along transects at varying depths. Despite damage from a 1979 Acanthaster planci outbreak, coral species were recovering by 1985, with new recruits showing potential for full recovery, and a total of 215 fish species and 87% of known gastropod species were observed in the bay.
A survey of coral communities in Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary found an increase in coral abundance and surface cover since 1985, though benthic algae still dominated. Coral recovery was more rapid in deeper waters, and while smaller coral recruits are abundant, it is predicted that noticeable increases in surface cover will occur by 1992-1994.
A report from the Department of Maine and Wildlife Resources written in 1996, covers the state of the corals and concerns they are facing. Presents valauble information on the state of coral reefs at the time using figures and previous research.
The long-term monitoring of fish and coral communities in Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which began in the late 1970s, reveals significant trends in ecosystem health. While coral communities show signs of recovery and improvement since 2001, fish populations have declined, possibly due to seasonal variation and ongoing fishing pressures, with the exception of parrotfish populations, which have benefited from recent fishing restrictions.
The coral reefs of American Samoa have faced numerous disturbances over recent decades, including starfish outbreaks, hurricanes, high water temperatures, and human-induced impacts like pollution and overfishing. These events have led to significant changes in coral communities, prompting long-term monitoring efforts since the late 1970s to track the recovery or further decline of coral and fish populations, particularly in Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Survey of coral reefs in Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary and ten other sites around Tutuila revealed that exposed reefs experienced little damage from hurricanes and bleaching, while sheltered reefs were severely affected. Despite the damage, the reefs show signs of recovery, with young coral recruits and the presence of coralline algae aiding in reef stabilization and regeneration.
The data analysis of the Fagatele Marine Sanctuary reveals significant trends in coral recovery between 1998 and 2001, with a decrease in species diversity but an increase in coral coverage. Fish population studies in both Fagatele Bay and Tutuila show similar trends, with species density increasing from 1996 to 2001, highlighting recovery patterns and spatial distinctions between different sites and depths.
In 1993, the grounding of the Taiwanese ship Jin Shiang Fa at Rose Atoll spilled 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel, causing extensive coral reef damage and triggering an algal bloom. Three years later, recovery remains limited, with opportunistic algae dominating and minimal regrowth of the crucial reef-forming crustose coralline algae.
Long-term monitoring of coral and fish communities in Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary since 1982 shows that coral communities are recovering well, with increased colony numbers, size, and cover, particularly since 1998. However, fish communities are recovering more slowly, and shallow water areas have suffered from recent low tide events, with some key locations still showing signs of distress but gradual improvement.