The northwestern Hawaiian Islands, an uninhabited chain of small islands, atolls, reefs and submerged banks, are populated by more coral reefs than anywhere else in the United States. These islands contain one of the healthiest — and least accessible — marine environments in the world. You can learn more about this rich marine habitat by visiting Hilo's Coral Reef Discovery Center.
Called Moku Papapa, which is the Hawaiian term for a low-reef island, the center features a 2,500-gallon salt-water aquarium containing fishes found in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Interpretive panels explaining the natural and cultural heritage of the region are displayed in both English and Hawaiian, and there also are interactive exhibits with touch-screens and video vignettes that focus on reef life.
Outside the center is a touch-screen kiosk that uses a high-speed internet connection to access weather forecasts, surf reports and information about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Among many interesting exhibits in the center is a video montage about the Hawaiian creation chant, which is known as the Kumulipo. Selections of the chant are recited in Hawaiian as images of the dawn of Hawaiian creation fill the screen.
The Discovery Center is a joint project of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program and the University of Hawaii. It is located on the first floor of the S. Hata Building at 308 Kamehameha Ave. along Hilo's bay front. The center is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
