Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 9, 1 September 2011 — PAPAHĀNAUMOKUĀKEA COMES TO THE WAIKĪKĪ AQUARIUM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PAPAHĀNAUMOKUĀKEA COMES TO THE WAIKĪKĪ AQUARIUM

Most people will never get to visit the world's most isolated islands, whieh make up the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Nalional Monument, but over the course of a year the Waikīkī Aquarium has built a new exhibit and brought a bit of that very special ecosystem to Honolulu. Many of the species on display are abundant around the Northwestern Hawaiian lslands but are extremely rare or absent around the main Hawaiian lslands. "The new Northwestern Hawaiian lslands exhibit not only continues our mission to inspire and promote understanding, appreciation and conservation of Pacific marine life, but it also allows visitors to experience some of the rarity that the marine nahonal monument boasts," said Director Andrew Rossiter, pictured in front of the 4,400-gallon tank vibrant with coral specimens that were less than an ineh long when they were first gathered from the monument by scientists. The corals will eonhnue to grow, making for an exhibit that will evolve over hme. The exhibit also features interactive touch screens with informahon about the monument. - Photo: Pwneine Mimay