10 Years of Ocean Protection: Stories & Photos

Final 10th Anniversary Outreach Event Surprises and Delights Keiki

Hundreds of young visitors to Bishop Museum in Honolulu got a big surprise during the museum’s Family Sunday on November 14, 2010. After coloring their choice of a shark, turtle or seal and having their picture pressed into a button, each child was presented with a commemorative monk seal stuffed toy and a temporary seal tattoo. You could see the delight in their eyes and in their smiles and gratitude from their parents. This was the second week in a row that staff from Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument handed out the toys; created to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve and to also bring added attention to the plight of the critically endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal. Fewer than 1200 are left in the wild and most live in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The Monument’s participation at Family Sunday was the last of more than two dozen public outreach events created to celebrate ten years of ocean protection. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve was established under Executive Order by President Bill Clinton on Dec. 4, 2000. That development, one of many in the history of protection for the region, is widely considered a bold and pivotal action to provide strong protections for the island chain’s near-pristine marine and terrestrial ecosystems. NOAA Superintendent for Papahānaumokuākea, ‘Aulani Wilhelm said, “Over the past ten years, this action has had a ripple effect in solidifying stringent protections in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and extending to other places in the Pacific.”

Bishop Museum’s Family Sunday was held to bring attention to one of its newest exhibits: Creatures of the Abyss. In addition to providing discounted museum admission, an outdoor play area was constructed on the lawn and featured train rides, a climbing wall. In keeping with the day’s theme, Papahānaumokuākea partnered with the Hawai‘i Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL), its first research partner after the creation of the Reserve. At tables at the entrance to the Creatures of the Abyss exhibit, HURL and Monument representatives shared stories of deep ocean discoveries, demonstrated the effects of pressure at extreme depths, showed videos of deep-sea corals and sponges discovered in the Monument during HURL research, and provided a half dozen informational brochures and pamphlets on the Reserve and the Monument. More than 250 children made custom buttons before receiving a stuffed monk seal and tattoo. Over the course of two weeks Monument staff handed out more than 600 of the plush toys. Another 600, co-branded with 10th Anniversary and Waikiki Aquarium hangtags, will be sold at the aquarium to support its monk seal education program.

Thousands of adults and children received exposure to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve and to numerous non-profit, research and NGO partners during outreach events associated with the anniversary of the Reserve.