Hawaii’s
Back yard
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
Learn about
northern isles
at Hilo centerMost people think of Hawaii as being the six main populated islands that are featured in travel brochures, but, in actuality, two-thirds of the state lies 1,200 miles northwest of Kauai. Known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, this primarily uninhabited chain of islets, atolls and reefs boasts one of the healthiest marine environments in the world, yet few people even know it exists.
The majority of all coral reefs in the United States thrive in the NWHI, along with 7,000 species of marine life, including federally protected species such as the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and the threatened green sea turtle. More than 50 percent of the biomass of vertebrates there are large predators such as sharks, ulua (jacks) and groupers. By comparison, the large predator composition is about 3 percent around the main Hawaiian Islands. The NWHI is perhaps the last major coral reef ecosystem in the world where large predators dominate.
Mokupapapa
What: Discovery Center for Hawaii's Remote Coral ReefsAddress: S. Hata Building, 308 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo, Big Island
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays. Group tours available.
Admission: Free
Call: (808) 933-8195
Web site: www.hawaiireef.noaa.gov/
center/welcome.html
"The experience is like going back through time," says Andy Collins, education coordinator for the 99,500-square-nautical-mile NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, the largest conservation project under the U.S. flag. "While swimming in the waters of the NWHI, I had the distinct impression that I was part of the food chain and that the large fish that surrounded me were not afraid of humans at all.
"On land it is the seabirds that rule and, again, they have no fear of humans and look at us like unwanted visitors to their domain. The skies are filled with whirling, crying birds, and with every step on the pockmarked ground, there is the danger of falling into a burrow and crushing a nesting chick. The whole place gives the feeling of abundant and healthy life, yet fragile at the same time."
During World War II, several of the NWHI's atolls were used as airports, seaplane bases, and ship and submarine harbors. The famed Battle of Midway -- which historians say was the turning point for America's war efforts in the Pacific -- was fought in part on Midway Atoll, which is now a national wildlife refuge and National Historic Site.
NOAA
A mock-up of the deep-sea submersible Pisces V, complete with working robot arms, is a big hit with keiki.
At least two NWHI islands, Nihoa and Mokumanamana, were inhabited by the Hawaiians for as many as 1,000 years. Abandoned before Western explorers discovered Hawaii, possibly because of dwindling food and fresh water supplies, these islands were never re-inhabited by people, and are a testament to the sailing skills and survival abilities of Hawaii's earliest settlers.
Opened on May 28, Mokupapapa: Discovery Center for Hawaii's Remote Coral Reefs sheds light on this pristine, little-known sector of the Pacific. The $1.3-million, 4,000-square-foot interactive educational facility in Hilo utilizes a variety of learning tools to teach visitors about the natural, cultural and historic resources of the NWHI, which encompass the oldest islands and atolls in the Aloha State. The northernmost islands, Midway and Kure, are believed to be 25 million years old while Kauai, oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands, is a mere 5.5 million years old.
Mokupapapa means "low, flat islets," which aptly describes most of the NWHI's geological formations. These coral "footprints" are the remnants of large volcanic islands that eroded into the ocean over time.
Visitors to Mokupapapa are greeted by the soothing sounds of the sea and life-size replicas of sharks, ulua (jack) and a manta ray swimming overhead. A 2,500-gallon saltwater aquarium showcases the NWHI's intriguing reef inhabitants. Corals in the tank are remarkable facsimiles made from molds of real corals. Its life support system mirrors that found on an actual reef. Bacteria and algae remove excess nutrients and break down aquarium wastes. Algae are removed from the filter and fed to the fishes, completing the natural cycle.
Created by Hilo artist Layne Luna, a 30-foot-long wall mural of an NWHI coral reef ecosystem exhibits many rare and endemic (found only in Hawaii) marine creatures that you can learn more about via a touch-screen field guide embedded in the artwork. Beckoning nearby are stand-alone video displays set in their own kiosks. One takes you on virtual dives in an atoll's shallow reef, lagoon and deep reef areas. Another introduces you to some of the scientists and conservationists who are playing key roles in protecting the NWHI.
A wall map shows the entire length of the Hawaiian archipelago in true scale, from the Big Island to Kure Atoll, some 1,400 miles to the northwest. Satellite images and photos of the NWHI provide captivating visual accents.
ONE OF Mokupapapa's most popular attractions is a mock-up of the Pisces V research submersible's cockpit, complete with viewing ports and robot arms that visitors can manipulate. Through the portals, you'll see a diorama of the animals and habitats found 1,000 feet below the surface of the sea in the NWHI. Enhancing the experience are realistic background sounds made by the submersible.
"Mokupapapa will help teach our kids and visitors about the wonders of the ocean," says Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim. "The thing that strikes me most about the Center is its blend of natural and cultural history and respect for the Hawaiian culture. Native Hawaiians have been the best stewards of these islands for centuries, yet much of their traditional practices of ocean conservation have been lost with time and change. Mokupapapa helps those who visit understand the importance of traditional values and the need to protect not only our environment, but our native culture as well."
NOAA
Mokupapapa was built in Hilo to teach kids and visitors about the wonders of the ocean.
THE IDEA OF A government-sponsored visitor's center related to the NWHI is not new. In fact, it dates to the 1960s, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did preliminary planning on a Honolulu-based facility featuring the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, which, created by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1909, comprises eight of the 10 major islands and atolls in the NWHI.
In 2000, the idea was reborn when Congress and President Bill Clinton gave the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the responsibility of managing the newly established Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, which was created by executive order to protect the federal waters surrounding the NWHI's islands and atolls.
Hilo was chosen as the site for the new NWHI visitor center because of the University of Hawaii at Hilo's successful marine science program and the large number of visitors who pass through the town daily on their way to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the state's largest attraction in terms of size and annual attendance. Mokupapapa is a joint project of the NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program and the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
"The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have been called our 'kupuna' or elder islands and, as such, they have much to teach us about what healthy Hawaiian coral reef communities look like," says Collins, the education coordinator. "The remoteness and fragility of this area prevents many people from visiting, so it is important to bring the wonders of this place to the people here in the main islands. Through discovery centers like Mokupapapa, we can teach people about the NWHI and help them understand why conservation and proper management of our natural resources are important."
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer and Society of American Travel Writers award winner.
