Although Hawaii doesn’t have many high-tech or engineering industries, Hawaii still holds an important role in the world of science in terms of the marine biology research done in the islands. It is obvious why marine biology would be one of the most prominent sciences practiced in the islands due to convenient access to the sea and the wealth of marine life in the Pacific Ocean, and one of the premier marine biology facilities in the islands is theHawaii Institute of Marine Biology, which is located on Coconut Island in Kaneohe Bay, just 15 miles from the main campus of the University of Hawaii and downtown Honolulu.
The 29 acres of land on Coconut Island is entirely a research facility surrounded by 64 acres of coral reef designated as the Hawaii Marine Laboratory Refuge.
The island is also composed of 6 acres of enclosed lagoons that are used for keeping organisms in captivity for study. Only researchers and members of the research facility can access Coconut Island and conduct any experiments on or around the island.
Although scientist from around the world come to conduct experiments at the facility, the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology is established primarily for use by University of Hawaii students and faculty.
Tags: Coral reef·Honolulu·Marine biology·Oceanography·Pacific Ocean·United States·University of Hawaii
Because of Hawaii’s diverse population and cultures, tasty food from around the world can be found in the islands. However, sometimes the best foods to try are the traditional Hawaiian dishes that were eaten by the native Hawaiians long before any other cuisines were introduced to the islands. Due to the Hawaiian’s belief that life and health were one in the same, they believed that it was important to eat healthy and to use all of the edible resources provided by nature. The native Hawaiians lived very active lives, so it was important for them to eat foods rich in nutrients such as taro, yams, breadfruit, pigs, and fish.
The main sources of protein for the native Hawaiians were fish, squid, crab, chicken, and birds. Leafy vegetables including taro, tree fern, and fan palm were also a main component of their diets. They also ate bananas, coconuts, mountain apples, and sugar cane. One of the staples of their diet was poi, a glutinous purple paste made from pounded taro root.
Although times have changed greatly, there are still many traditional Hawaiian foods found today, especially at events known as luaus, which are traditional Hawaiian feasts. Poi is still a commonly found Hawaiian dish, and you will also often find a whole pig wrapped in ti and banana leaves and cooked in an underground oven known as an imu as one of the main dishes. Laulau is another common dish, which consists of pork or chicken wrapped in taro leaves. For desert people will often eat haupia, which is made from coconu
Tags: Coconut·Hawaii·Hawaiian Islands·Native Hawaiian·Polynesian·Sugarcane·United States
Although it may seem that Hawaii would be somewhat less technologically advanced than most other parts of the world because it is isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which also happens to be the largest ocean in the world, Hawaii, especially the island of Oahu is just as developed as many large cities. In Hawaii there are many important issues that are talked about, and many of these give rise to the numerous blogs on the internet about Hawaii affairs. Although there are thousands of blogs on Hawaii on the internet, many of which are only related to tourism, here are a few of the most popular Hawaii blogs.
One of the most heated issues in Hawaii are related to Native Hawaiian rights, which makes the Hawaiian Independence Blog, which is made especially to discuss Native Hawaiian Issues, one of the most popular Hawaii Blogs. Some topics talked about on this blog are related to Hawaii regaining its sovereignty and the disputes over the Akaka Bill, which is proposing to give Native Hawaiians more rights. Another popular Hawaii blog is Hawaiirama, which is a blog dedicated to Hawaii travel. This blog will give you all the local’s best picks for shopping, dining, and entertainment so that visitors can have the best experience possible in paradise. With all of the talk about being eco-friendly and going green, environmental issues are the primary topic on the Hawaii blog, Raising Islands. This blog offers news about the environment of the Hawaiian Islands and educates readers all about environmental sciences so that people are more aware of the environment around them.
Tags: Akaka Bill·Hawaii·Hawaiian Islands·Honolulu·Oahu·Pacific Ocean·Tourism·United States
Due to Hawaii’s diverse population, Hawaii also has a diverse musical background, with music being influenced by cultures from all around the world. With all types of traditional and contemporary music styles put on display in Hawaii, Hawaii is home to music ranging from traditional native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock, jazz, and hip hop. A popular local music style in the islands is slack-key guitar, as well as country music which became popular with the introduction of the steel guitar. Nevertheless, many locals still strive to preserve Hawaii’s traditional music styles, which include chanting and dance music.
Hawaii is home to numerous musical venues and events. Some of the popular music festivals in Hawaii include the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, Molokai Music Festival, Hawaii International Jazz Festival, as well as many slack-key and steel guitar festivals such as the Big Island Slack Key Guitar Festival, Steel Guitar Association Festival, and the Gabby Pahinui / Atta Isaacs Slack Key Festival. Some of the well known music venues and institutions include the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Hawaii Opera Theatre, and the Oahu Choral Society’s Honolulu Symphony Chorus, which also hosts the popular Hawaii International Choral Festival.
Tags: Folk music·Hawaii·Hawaiian Islands·Music·Music of Hawaii·Slack-key guitar·Steel guitar·United States
Run by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts the Hawaii State Art Museum is a popular art museum conveniently located in the No. 1 Capitol District Building right in downtown Honolulu. Admission is free at all times and the museum also participates in an event in downtown known as First Friday, which is where numerous art galleries throughout downtown open in the evening to allow people to explore any new works of art that may have been put on display.
The downtown Hawaii State Art Museum is actually the newest museum in Hawaii, and the museum is separated into three galleries: the Diamond Head Gallery, the Ewa Gallery, and the Sculpture Gallery.The museum also offers a 70 seat multi-purpose room for hosting any special events or public programs that may take place at the museum. Also located in the museum is Downtown @ HiSAM, which is the museum’s restaurant, as well as Shop @ HiSAM, which is the museum gift shop. Group tours for the museum are also offered for groups of up to 12 people.
Tags: Art museum·Arts and Entertainment·Hawaii·Honolulu·Museum·Restaurant·United States·Work of art
August 12th, 2009 · People
Although many famous people have blessed the islands of Hawaii with their presence, perhaps one of the most beloved people of Hawaii is Duke Kahanmoku. Born on August 24, 1980, Duke was named after his father, Halapu Kahanamoku, who was christened “Duke” by Bernice Pauahi Bishop in honor or Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, who was visiting the islands during the time of Duke’s father’s birth in 1869. Duke grew up on the outskirts of Waikiki and became a beach boy, as many people still remember him as.
Spending a great deal of his time at Waikiki Beach, Duke developed excellent surfing and swimming skills.
Today, Duke is remembered as the man who popularized the modern sport of surfing and an Olympic champion in swimming.
During his swimming career, Duke won numerous swimming awards and broke a handful of records. He won a gold medal in the 100 meter freestyle in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm,
He also won two gold medals at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. Duke was also on the US Water Polo team during the 1932 Summer Olympics. For some time, Duke also lived in California.
One of the most notable experiences during his life there was when he rescued eight men from a fishing vessel that capsized due to heavy surf. Duke was also the first man to be inducted into both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame, and he is also a member of the US Olympic Hall of Fame. The Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championships are also named in his honor. Since his death in 1968, Duke Kahanamoku has become a major icon of Hawaii, with a stature of him standing at the front of Waikiki Beach, always covered by leis left by many of his fans.
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Hawaii is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, mostly due to its famous, pristine beaches, lush, tropical greenery, and paradise-like atmosphere.
In addition to the excellent shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities available in the islands, Hawaii also offers other great attractions and outdoor activities. However, it many people consider that although there are eight major Hawaiian Islands, there are really only four suitable for vacationing: Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.
Although Oahu suffers from traffic and overcrowding, Oahu is the most developed of the islands and has by far the most to offer. Oahu is home to numerous world-renown restaurants owned by famous chefs such as Sam Choy, Roy Yamaguchi, and Alan Wong.Other popular attractions include Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, and the Polynesian Cultural Center.Maui is extremely popular for its natural beauty and outdoor attractions. Visitors can go on humpback whale tours, hiking and biking at Haleakala National Park, or visit the Maui Ocean Center, which is the largest aquarium in Hawaii.
The Big Island, officially known as the island of Hawaii, is especially popular for its volcanoes. The best place to go to see active volcanoes is the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is home to Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Kauai is another island especially popular for its natural attractions.
Many visitors to Kauai come to find excellent diving, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, and hiking experiences. One of the most beautiful natural sites on Kauai is the famous NaPali Coast.
Tags: Haleakala National Park·Hawaiian Islands·Maui Ocean Center
If you’re interested in exploring the beautiful islands of Hawaii and experiencing the vacation of a lifetime, it is important to explore many of the tourism and travel websites dedicated to Hawaii. These websites will point you to all of the excellent dining, shopping, and entertainment opportunities the islands have to offer, as well as any other attractions or events you might be interested in. However, it is important to remember that although there are eight major Hawaiian Islands, there are really only four that are ideal for vacationing: Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island. Although there are many websites you can check out to properly plan your visit so that you can make the most of it, one of the coolest websites worth checking out is www.gohawaii.com
This website is Hawaii’s main tourism website, and it will offer you with anything you will ever need to know about vacationing in the islands.
This website will point you to all of the dining, shopping, and entertainment attractions on the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, and Maui, and it also offers background histories, weather conditions, event calenders, and travel tips for each island.
There are also videos on the website that you can watch to virtually explore all that Hawaii has to offer.
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August 10th, 2009 · Business
Since European contact was established in 1778, Hawaii has experienced several dominating economic bases that have risen and fallen through the years.
The first major industry that established any sort of economic importance in the islands was sandalwood. Sandalwood was gathered in great amounts an exported around the world, especially to China, where it was prized for its fragrance and medicinal properties. However, as a result of over harvesting, the sandalwood forests were depleted and whaling became the next economic base, with Lahaina, Maui being the major whaling center of the Pacific.
Once the whale population depleted, sugarcane and pineapple production became the economic base, with numerous plantations being established throughout all of the islands.
Today, tourism serves as Hawaii’s primary economic base.
Due to its beautiful beaches, lush greenery, and excellent outdoor activities, Hawaii is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The tourist industry has developed Hawaii into a mainly service-based economy, with very few engineering or high-tech industries available. However, due to the current economic global recession, Hawaii has suffered greatly from the decline of tourism and rising hotel occupancy rates, giving rise to the numerous discount packages and lower rates offered by hotels and Hawaii tourist businesses
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