[INSIDE HAWAII INC.]
Andrew Rossiter is the new director of the Waikiki Aquarium. He is sitting in the round viewing port for the tank that houses sharks and large fish.
Aquarium director
doesn’t see Ko Olina
project as competitionWill you be new to the tourist aquarium market?
Andrew Rossiter
>> Position: Director of the Waikiki Aquarium since April 26
>> Background: Previously worked as a senior research scientist at the Lake Biwa Museum, Japan's second-largest natural history museum and largest freshwater public aquarium. He started out as an aquarium hobbyist at 10 and got a bachelor's degree in zoology from the University College of Cardiff, Wales, and a doctorate degree in Aquatic Organismal Ecology from the University of North Wales, United Kingdom.
Yes. We have to cater to two to three types of clientele. One is the mainland tourist, one is the local community, and one is the international tourist, primarily Japanese. In the local community, we're trying to interact with regard to local customs and traditions, and also to promote awareness of reef conservation. And then for the tourists from the mainland we're trying to point out to them just how precious Hawaii is both within an American and a world context. There are about 420 fish species in Hawaii and 30 percent of them are found only here. It really is a biological treasure. For the Japanese tourists, we're trying to promote both of those messages, but for a non-English speaking audience.
What are some of the basic things that most people don't know about marine life?
The first thing I would say is that people don't realize how devastating it can be, the effect of an alien species, a species that is not native. Even if you introduce one or two specimens they have the possibility to interbreed. So the impacts of just a few species can be very, very severe. The second thing I think is people don't realize just how interrelated the ecosystem of the reef is.
It's not just a group of separate units. If you remove one, the effects tend to cascade through the ecosystem. With the crown-of-thorns starfish -- that has periodic outbreaks -- it eats the coral, kills the coral, and because the coral's dead, all the fish that live there disappear. Nothing is grazing on the algae, so the algae and the coral can't recover.
What types of local conservation projects is the aquarium involved in?
We've got one project breeding nautilus, a very primitive shell. We're one of the very few places in the world that breeds them. We provide young ones to other institutions, so the wild population is undiminished. We're doing stuff with alien algae, mainly awareness projects about problems caused to the reefs by the alien algae. We're doing research on Hawaiian monk seals. Seals have a thick layer of blubber, so theoretically they should be overheating in this climate. It looks like they're not moving around as much. We're doing captivity of quite a few species. That's done at the aquarium itself. We also propagate corals and distribute those to many aquaria through the world. Again this is to reduce the pressure on native populations.
What are your goals for the aquarium?
I'd like to build upon the great work that the previous directors have done, such as Bruce Carlson and Leighton Taylor. They've laid a very firm foundation here, which is one of the reasons that attracted me here in the first place. But what we're lacking is a large exhibit, such as large sharks, tuna, something like that. And another possibility would be an exhibit that starts off as a waterfall that meanders down through several exhibits. That would show the continuity between the top of the mountain right down to the seashore. So if you throw rubbish in a stream in a mountain, it eventually ends up in the ocean.
Can the Ko Olina aquarium project work out?
I'm pretty well briefed on the project. If it goes ahead, it will be interesting. I don't think it will impact the Waikiki Aquarium, because the objectives and audiences are different. From what I understood of Jeff Stone's idea, his is more of an entertainment-type facility. Waikiki is more educational. Plus, the distance between the two will separate people out. One of the great things here is we get a lot of walk-ins from the hotels in Waikiki.
How about the University of Hawaii's proposed Kakaako aquarium?
Apparently, the university is still mulling that one other aquarium option, but if it does happen, it will be a long long way off. If it does happen, this facility will stay where it is, but the staff will move over to the new one. The university will retain the property, but it will be an affiliate of the marine outreach program. It will be a window into the kinds of research done at the university. For age groups, it would probably appeal more to late teens and above, by the nature of the topics on display.
Inside Hawaii Inc. is a conversation with a member of the Hawaii business community who has changed jobs, been elected to a board or been recognized for accomplishments. Send questions and comments to business@starbulletin.com.
