Ko‘a and Honu‘ea, Coral and Sea Turtle

Coral reefs are the cradle of life in the ocean. What often looks like just rocks are thriving communities of sea life. Living coral sustains life in the ocean and on land. Algae in the ocean is the primary source of oxygen for the planet.

The Hawaiian word ko‘a means coral reef, a fishing ground, and a shrine to fishing. Fish was a primary source of protein for many Hawaiians. They carefully managed ocean fisheries to provide food for their communities. They built fishponds to provide an abundant supply of nearshore fish. The fishponds also hosted freshwater shrimp and fish that migrated inland at different stages in their life cycles.

Hawaiians also made ocean pilgrimages to look after the health of the deep ocean. Mokumanamana (Necker Island) is 290 miles (435 km) northwest of Kaua‘i. Moku-mana-mana means “island of great spiritual energy.” This tiny uninhabited island is filled with shrines and sacred stones. It’s at the southern end of the Northwest Hawaiian Island chain that stretches 1,350 miles (2,200 km) to the northwest of Kaua‘i island ending at Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll).

Mokumanamana is on Ke Alanui Polohiwa a Kāne, the Tropic of Cancer. This latitude marks the northern limit of where the sun can reach 90º above the horizon. The sun is directly overhead Mokumanamana at the solstices.

In the Kumulipo, life emerged from the pō, primordial darkness. Mokumanamana marks the Hawaiian border between night and day, between the realm of the gods and the human realm. North of this island is considered pō, night, to the south is aō, day. Hawaiians would journey to the tiny Mokumanamana island at the solstice to perform ceremonies to honor this source of life on Earth.

In 2006 the United States created the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which encompasses the entire Northwest Hawaiian Island chain and surrounding waters. The islands are a nursery for fish that migrate and populate the entire Pacific Ocean.

The Hawaiian honu‘ea, or hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) can be found worldwide near the coral reefs eating sponges, and jellyfish. It also travels long distances across the open ocean. Only the females briefly come onto the land to lay their eggs in the sandy beaches.

A healthy turtle population is an indicator of a healthy ocean. Having protected areas like Papahānaumokuākea and restoring fishponds are beginning steps toward restoring the marine ecosystem.