Olympic Swimmer and WWU grad student Tilali Scanlan takes on coastal hazards in American Samoa

WWU environmental studies graduate student Tilali Scanlan, of American Samoa, has a comprehensive relationship with the sea. She’s an Olympic swimmer (Tokyo ’20) who trained in the ocean for most of her 10+ year career. And now she studies sea-level rise and worsening coastal hazard impacts on threatened port systems in American Samoa. 

Scanlan got her bachelor’s degree in marine science at University of the South Pacific in Fiji, where she specialized in coral reef ecology. After graduation, she worked for two years as a National Coral Reef Management fellow, then spent another six months working with the National Park Service before coming to Western for graduate school. 

Scanlan is also a recipient of the Research and Creative Opportunities Grant from Western’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for her work on coastal hazard impacts in American Samoa. 

American Samoa is a U.S. territory made up of seven South Pacific islands. Five of the seven are inhabited by people, and these residents mostly live in coastal areas, where the vulnerable infrastructure of their low-lying ports is a major concern. 

American Samoa’s key exports include tuna and NFL football players. And due to the complex history of colonization and westernization that fosters economic dependence, American Samoans are heavily reliant on imports for basic necessities like food and medication. 

“When we got a container delay due to COVID for two weeks, people panicked! There wasn't enough food on the shelf. There wasn't enough toilet paper, and there were medication delays,” said Scanlan. Such delays can be a serious issue for an aging population with a high incidence of diabetes and obesity. 

Sea-level rise is a global phenomenon that threatens the infrastructure of coastal communities worldwide, but American Samoa is especially at risk because of increased subsidence, or sinking, caused by a double earthquake in the Tongan trench in 2009 that shifted the plates underneath the islands downward. 

“American Samoa experiences five times the global average sea-level rise, roughly 16 millimeters per year. In comparison, Washington’s is more like 2.6 to 3.2 millimeters per year,” said Scanlan. “The acceleration we’re seeing is very alarming. Even though it’s only been since 2009, people can see the change, and it will continue to increase.” 

Tutuila is the American Samoan island with the highest population, and it’s the island that’s sinking the fastest. Because of its mountainous landscape, much of the island’s development overlaps with the tsunami inundation zone and is at risk of coastal flooding and erosion. 

Scanlan said that it sounds really scary and stressful, but it’s just part of the environment, part of life. She wants to understand how residents perceive these threats so she can better understand how it affects their resilience as a community. 

“You might say, oh my gosh, I feel so bad for these people. Like, how are they going to survive? But really, I’m always amazed at how resilient our Pacific people are and how we blend in with nature, especially the ocean. All of our history and culture is so intertwined with the ocean; you just learn to live with it,” said Scanlan. 

Scanlan does more than just live with the ocean. For most of her swimming career, American Samoa didn’t have a pool, so she trained in rough, open waters. Her specialty is the 100-meter breaststroke. 

“It’s not like here in Washington. We have the big waves close to shore and really strong rip currents. That's why we have one of the highest drowning rates — because of the strong near-shore currents, and people can get swept out really easily. It’s quite dangerous,” Scanlan said. “You’ve got to know what you're doing and really be in tune with the ocean. And a lot of people are in tune with the ocean back home, especially fishermen.”

Scanlan doesn’t even blink at the mention of sharks. 

“I’m not really afraid of sharks. There are so many misconceptions about them. They would always swim away from me because they’re so scared,” Scanlan said. 

During college, Scanlan relocated to Hawaii so she could train for the Tokyo Olympics in a pool while she did her coursework online. Competitive swimming was her job for years, and she loved it, but Scanlan said it didn’t pay all the bills. And that’s why she applied to go to grad school at Western. 

“The ocean in Washington is too cold to swim in. It’s beautiful, but I’m also not trying to swim next to an orca, right?” said Scanlan, laughing. “I swim at the rec center pool, and Western has a swim club I try to join sometimes. But I’m really trying to focus on my master’s program.” 

Scanlan said the great thing about grad school at Western is that it offers space for exploration. 

“I have space to explore and understand a new area of interest under enough pressure to help you grow, but without crushing you. Back home, you have to swim with the current, not against it. I know Western’s all about making waves, so it kind of suits,” Scanlan said with a laugh. 

Last summer, under the direction of her advisor, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Rebekah Paci-Green, Scanlan did field work for two different projects. For her graduate thesis, she went home and conducted port-site hazard-impact assessments at four of the eight American Samoan ports. 

“Tilali’s work is so vitally important. Coastal storms, heightened by sea-level rise, are already degrading the function of ports in American Samoa. As someone from the territory and as someone already so connected with the marine environment, Tilali has been able to quickly identify the complex political, social and marine processes creating vulnerability to this threat,” said Paci-Green. “But she is doing more than simply documenting the problems. She’s bringing port representatives, local government and scientists together to identify solutions.”

Scanlan plans to visit the other four ports next month and work with a team to get updated data on the types of hazards that are becoming more severe and impacting port operations. 

“My research has never been done before in American Samoa. We’re a U.S. territory that’s largely been ignored, underfunded, undervalued and kind of pushed aside when considering all United States-funded projects,” said Scanlan. “That's why my research is so important — because I’m from there. I’m looking at these issues from a very unique perspective, and I understand the community better than anyone else who could be in this role.”

Scanlan said that locally-pushed research should always be a top priority. 

“If you can get someone who’s from there, someone who knows the community and can dedicate their research efforts to that area, it’s so much more valuable than external research initiatives,” she said. 

Scanlan also worked as a research assistant in Hawaii last summer on a disaster risk reduction project with Paci-Green. They’re two distinct projects, but Scanlan’s research assistant work in Hawaii overlaps with her graduate work in American Samoa. 

In Hawaii, Scanlan focused on learning about floodplains and how FEMA designates coastal flood areas, expanding and deepening her already robust understanding of the sea and coastal hazards in the Pacific.

“It has been such a great experience having Tilali as a graduate student and research assistant. While I'm coaching her on research methods and corrosion fragility, she’s coaching me on the Pacific cultures, her family’s lived experience of sea-level rise and the United States’ complex relationship with island territories,” said Paci-Green.

Paci-Green emphasized how much she enjoyed doing field research with Scanlan in Hilo. 

“After hot, hard survey work, Tilali always knew the perfect swimming holes — we did laps in the natural lava pools of Hilo’s coast. And she’d always know where the best haupia and poke were to be found. I am now a super fan of Ken’s Pancake House because of her. I got to see a bit of Hilo through her eyes,” said Paci-Green. 

Always returning to Polynesian waters, Scanlan did a one-mile swim race in the rough, open water during her time in Hawaii last summer. Advisor Paci-Green cheered her across the finish line. 

Learn more about Western’s master’s program in environmental studies here. 

Allie Spikes covers the WWU Graduate School and Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies for University Communications. Reach out to her with story ideas at spikesa@wwu.edu.