The Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC)

The PACRC is relatively new and still in its early years of development. It has been nearly two and a half years since I first visited the University of Hawaii-Hilo and the PACRC. The following photos chronicle those visitations.

The PACRC lies due North of the Hilo Airport, and due East of the Port.
Notice there is a cruise ship in port when the satellite took this image.
Judging by the number and position of tanks at the PACRC, this image was taken sometime around November 2007.

*December 2007*


*June 2008*

One of two large tanks left over from when this was the city's sewage treatment plant.

The other large tank drained and ready for refurbishment.

Looking West across the property, June 2008.

Algae being cultivated in a batch-system manner. These algae are used as live feed for shellfish.

It is a bag in a mesh frame. Carbon dioxide is periodically bubbled in through an air-stone in the bottom of each bag.

Another view of the algae outdoors.

Algae being grown indoors, or under the cover of a fabric tunnel.
Inside the second fabric tunnel where shellfish are grown.
Student research assistants taking care of business.

Now we are into September 2009. his is the PACRC looking NE from the fabric tunnels. You can see in the middle-left that there is a fabric cover on one of the two large tanks. It is being prepared for receiving and growing-out tuna.
Algae being cultivated outdoors. There is now a mesh cover over the algae. Notice the cruise liner in the background at the Port of Hilo. Looks like a hotel.
In addition to the mesh cover, the bags now are misted with water to provide for evaporative cooling. It actually gets too hot here during mid-day to grow most micro-algal species at their optimum.
A place for relaxation overlooking Hilo Bay.