Facilities
Facilities on the Big Island of Hawai’i
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Click image to see a poster illustrating our PACRC core facilities in Keaukaha. (PDF, 900kb)
Central Offices & Core Research Facilities (Keaukaha)
The Pacific Aquaculture & Coastal Resources Center is centrally located in the city of Hilo (1990 pop. 37,808) 200 mi/322 km SE of Honolulu, on the windward side of the Big Island of Hawaii. As as the second largest city in the state and a major port of entry, Hilo provides a location where advanced telecommunications, transportation capabilities, schools, housing, and other amenities are readily available. The PACRC administrative offices are located immediately south of the Port of Hilo along the bay on a site that covers approximately 12.5 acres—3.5 acres formerly owned by a wastewater treatment plant and 9 acres of adjacent land. Phase 1 of construction is now complete, which included the conversion of the plant into the physical core of the Center, followed by the construction of wells, a utility grid, parking, and small demonstration facilities. These facilities will initially focus on ornamental fish culture and the cultivation of pearl oysters. Equipment for these projects is currently being moved to appopriate locations within the site.
At Keaukaha, a constant supply of water is pumped from two underground wells, a brackish well drilled to a depth of 12 meters (40 feet) and a seawater well drilled to a depth of 107 meters (350 feet). An illustration of the freshwater-saltwater lens from which the water is pulled is shown below.
Water Quality Parameters for Wells at Keaukaha (*Based on conditions in adjacent Hilo Bay at Leleiwi)
| Brackish | Saltwater | Ocean* | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Depth (m)
|
12 m
|
107 m
|
not applicable
|
|
Temperature
|
?
|
20 – 21℃
|
?
|
|
pH
|
?
|
?
|
8.3
|
|
Salinity
|
8 ppm
|
33 ppm
|
35 ppm
|
|
Ammonia (NH3)
|
not detected
|
not detected
|
not detected
|
|
Nitrate (NO3+NO2)
|
11 – 28 μM
|
11 μM
|
4 μM
|
|
Phosphate (PO4)
|
0.94 – 1.29 μM
|
0.92 – 1.47 μM
|
0.14 μM
|
|
Silica (SiO2)
|
220 – 530 μM
|
208 – 229 μM
|
96 μM
|
University of Hawai’i Agriculture Farm (Panaewa)
The Panaewa site is located approximately six miles south-southwest of the city of Hilo along Highway 11. The primary purpose of the Panaewa site is quarantine, health management, and aquaculture of exotic organisms. There are no natural surface water sources within several miles of the site, so the potential for any escape of fishes or contamination of natural water bodies are extremely remote. Research on integrated agriculture-aquaculture farming systems will also be conducted at Panaewa.
