Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

NCCOS Assessment: Chemical contaminants data from the Faga’alu Bay and Watershed, American Samoa before and after best management practices from 2014-01-18 to 2022-04-06 (NCEI Accession 0302885)

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This dataset represents a “before and after” sediment sampling effort from Faga’alu Bay and watershed, American Samoa, to evaluate the effectiveness of best management practices at a quarry site. A suite of organic and inorganic parameters was quantified at twelve randomly selected and one targeted marine sites and four targeted stream site in 2014, including: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), trace elements, carbon, Clostridium perfringens abundance, and sediment grain size. Five of these sites were re-sampled in 2022 and analyzed for trace elements.

Dataset Citation

Cite as: Whitall, Dave; Holst, Susie (2025). NCCOS Assessment: Chemical contaminants data from the Faga’alu Bay and Watershed, American Samoa before and after best management practices from 2014-01-18 to 2022-04-06 (NCEI Accession 0302885). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/csft-xr58. Accessed [date].

Dataset Identifiers

ISO 19115-2 Metadata

gov.noaa.nodc:0302885

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Download Data	HTTPS (download) Navigate directly to the URL for data access and direct download. FTP (download) These data are available through the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is no longer supported by most internet browsers. You may copy and paste the FTP link to the data into an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla or WinSCP).
Distribution Formats	CSV PDF
Ordering Instructions	Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
Distributor	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information +1-301-713-3277 ncei.info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov

Time Period	2014-01-18 to 2022-04-06
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates	West: -170.693 East: -170.6779 South: -14.2932 North: -14.281
Spatial Coverage Map

General Documentation

NCEI Dataset Landing Page
Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links.
Descriptive Information
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Associated Resources

Kimbrough, K. L., and G. G. Lauenstein (Editors). 2006. Major and Trace Element Analytical Methods of the National Status and Trends Program: 2000-2006. Silver Spring, MD. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 29, 19 pp.
- https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/17784
  NOAA Technical Memorandum
Whitall, D. R., & Rice, S. H. (1 C.E.). Pollution in surface sediments in Faga’alu Bay, Tutuila, American Samoa. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/tm-nos-nccos-201
- https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/tm-nos-nccos-201
  NOAA Technical Memorandum
Mason, Andrew; Whitall, Dave (2020). NCCOS Assessment: Baseline Chemical Contaminants Data from the Nuuuli Pala Lagoon, American Samoa from 2017-07-11 to 2017-07-14 (NCEI Accession 0208106). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/d4gh-p564.
- https://doi.org/10.25921/d4gh-p564
  Related NCEI data accession
Land Based Sources of Pollution in Faga'alu Bay, Tutuila, American Samoa
- https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/land-based-pollution-fagaalu-american-samoa/
  National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) project page

Publication Dates	publication: 2025-04-16 creation: 2025-03-25
Data Presentation Form	Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status	Complete - production of the data has been completed Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency	As needed
Purpose	American Samoa's reefs are considered to be among the most pristine in the United States. These reefs host approximately 950 species of fish, 240 species of algae, 330 species of coral and many other species of invertebrates. Faga’alu Bay is located on the south shore of the island of Tutuila, the largest and most populous island of the U.S. territory of American Samoa. The Bay contains significant coral reefs, vital habitat for juvenile fish has been a Watershed Priority Initiative site for the US Coral Reef Task Force since 2012. There have been local concerns about the impacts of land based sources of pollution and water quality of the Bay and its ecosystems, including from an aggregate quarry in the watershed. Best management practices to reduce runoff from the quarry were implemented in fall of 2014. Organic and inorganic chemical contaminants have a wide range of potential negative impacts on the marine environment. Environmental data, such as the dataset presented here, serve as a baseline of current conditions, which are needed determine the efficacy of management efforts, i.e. measuring change over time. The data presented here can be utilized by coastal managers to best prioritize management strategies in a way to maximize success in decreasing stressors on coral reef ecosystems. Partners included: American Samoa’s Coral Reef Advisory Group, ASEPA, and American Samoa Community College.
Use Limitations	accessLevel: public Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.

Dataset Citation	Cite as: Whitall, Dave; Holst, Susie (2025). NCCOS Assessment: Chemical contaminants data from the Faga’alu Bay and Watershed, American Samoa before and after best management practices from 2014-01-18 to 2022-04-06 (NCEI Accession 0302885). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/csft-xr58. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors	Whitall, Dave NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Holst, Susie NOAA Office for Coastal Management
Principal Investigators	Dave Whitall NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Susie Holst NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM)
Collaborators	Sabrina Woofter American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group Motusaga Vaeoso American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group Hideyo Hattori NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) Lt. Charlene Felkey National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS)
Contributors	NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS)
Resource Providers	NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Points of Contact	Dave Whitall NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) NCCOS Data Manager NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Publishers	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Acknowledgments	Funding Agency: US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Funding Agency: CRCP project 917: Comprehensive baseline assessment and pilot test of outcome performance measures in Faga'alu Bay, American Samoa Funding Agency: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Funding Agency: US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Theme keywords	NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS bacteria CARBON ORGANIC CHEMICALS Pesticides POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAH) SEDIMENT - GRAIN SIZE TOTAL CARBON TRACE METALS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS in situ laboratory analyses manual sample collection WMO_CategoryCode oceanography CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus Numeric Data Sets > Chemical Contaminants CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Hydrosphere > Water Quality > Contaminants EARTH SCIENCE > Hydrosphere > Water Quality > Contaminants > Chemical EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Sediments > Sediment Chemistry EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Sediments > Sediment Composition EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Chemistry Monitoring and Assessment EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > InOrganic Carbon EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > InOrganic Matter EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Organic Matter EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Chemistry > Trace Elements > Metals Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords EARTH SCIENCE > AGRICULTURE > AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS > PESTICIDES EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > BACTERIA/ARCHAEA EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > MARINE SEDIMENTS EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > CARBON NCCOS Keywords NCCOS Research Data Type > Field Observation NCCOS Research Priority > Stressor Impacts and Mitigation NCCOS Research Topic > Biological Effects of Contaminants and Nutrients
Data Center keywords	NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science NOAA Office for Coastal Management NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Contributing Data Centers American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce DOC/NOAA/NOS/OCM > Office of Coastal Management, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Instrument keywords	NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS mass spectrometer spectrophotometer swimmer/diver Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords MASS SPECTROMETERS > MASS SPECTROMETERS OPTSPEC > Optical Spectrometer
Place keywords	NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS South Pacific Ocean CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Tutuila Island > Fagatele Bay (14S170W0002) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Tutuila Island > Fagatele Bay (14S170W0002) Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN NCCOS Location Keywords NCCOS Research Locations > Region > Pacific Ocean NCCOS Research Locations > U.S. States and Territories > American Samoa Provider Place Names Coastal Ocean Faga'alu Tutuila
Project keywords	NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) CORAL REEF STUDIES CRCP Project 917 Comprehensive baseline assessment and pilot test of outcome performance measures in Faga'alu Bay, American Samoa Provider Project Names NCCOS Project, Land Based Sources of Pollution in Faga'alu Bay, Tutuila, American Samoa
Keywords	NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 0302885
Keywords	Send2NCEI Submission Package ID 8D5XFU

Use Constraints	Cite as: Whitall, Dave; Holst, Susie (2025). NCCOS Assessment: Chemical contaminants data from the Faga’alu Bay and Watershed, American Samoa before and after best management practices from 2014-01-18 to 2022-04-06 (NCEI Accession 0302885). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/csft-xr58. Accessed [date].
Data License	This dataset has been dedicated to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication. SPDX License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0)
Access Constraints	Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees	In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	2025-04-16T12:29:39Z - NCEI Accession 0302885 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets	NCEI Accession 0302885 v1.1 NCEI Accession 0302885 v1.1 (download) published 2025-04-16T12:29:39Z

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	Parameter or Variable: ORGANIC CHEMICALS (measured); Units: ng/g; Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: none; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Organic chemicals analyzed include: Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB); Organochlorine pesticides; Pesticides: Multiresidue pesticides (MRES); and Trace elements. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019).; Data Quality Method: All laboratory data contained blanks, spikes and percent recoveries. Data were QA/QC’d using National Status and Trends protocols. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Whitall and Holst (2015). Parameter or Variable: CARBON (measured); Units: mg C; Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: none; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Carbon analyzed includes: Total Carbon (TC); Total Inorganic Carbon (TIC), and Total Organic Carbon (TOC). For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019).; Data Quality Method: All laboratory data contained blanks, spikes and percent recoveries. Data were QA/QC’d using National Status and Trends protocols. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019). Parameter or Variable: bacteria (measured); Units: colony forming units (cfu); Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: none; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Bacteria analyzed as Clostridium perfringens abundance. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019).; Data Quality Method: All laboratory data contained blanks, spikes and percent recoveries. Data were QA/QC’d using National Status and Trends protocols. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Whitall and Holst (2015). Parameter or Variable: SEDIMENT - GRAIN SIZE (measured); Units: percent; Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: none; Sampling and Analyzing Method: For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019).; Data Quality Method: All laboratory data contained blanks, spikes and percent recoveries. Data were QA/QC’d using National Status and Trends protocols. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Whitall and Holst (2015).

Lineage information for: dataset

Processing Steps

Parameter or Variable: ORGANIC CHEMICALS (measured); Units: ng/g; Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: none; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Organic chemicals analyzed include: Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB); Organochlorine pesticides; Pesticides: Multiresidue pesticides (MRES); and Trace elements. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019).; Data Quality Method: All laboratory data contained blanks, spikes and percent recoveries. Data were QA/QC’d using National Status and Trends protocols. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Whitall and Holst (2015).
Parameter or Variable: CARBON (measured); Units: mg C; Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: none; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Carbon analyzed includes: Total Carbon (TC); Total Inorganic Carbon (TIC), and Total Organic Carbon (TOC). For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019).; Data Quality Method: All laboratory data contained blanks, spikes and percent recoveries. Data were QA/QC’d using National Status and Trends protocols. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019).
Parameter or Variable: bacteria (measured); Units: colony forming units (cfu); Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: none; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Bacteria analyzed as Clostridium perfringens abundance. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019).; Data Quality Method: All laboratory data contained blanks, spikes and percent recoveries. Data were QA/QC’d using National Status and Trends protocols. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Whitall and Holst (2015).
Parameter or Variable: SEDIMENT - GRAIN SIZE (measured); Units: percent; Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: none; Sampling and Analyzing Method: For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Mason and Whitall (2019).; Data Quality Method: All laboratory data contained blanks, spikes and percent recoveries. Data were QA/QC’d using National Status and Trends protocols. For a complete description of the methods and analyses see Whitall and Holst (2015).

Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument	mass spectrometer spectrophotometer swimmer/diver

Last Modified: 2026-06-08T13:19:21Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov

NCCOS Assessment: Chemical contaminants data from the Faga’alu Bay and Watershed, American Samoa before and after best management practices from 2014-01-18 to 2022-04-06 (NCEI Accession 0302885)

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