PACRC Facilities

Central Offices

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 on the second floor of Hale Aloha at the Manono (Hawaii Community College) campus of the University of Hawai`i at Hilo. We have made available a campus map in .pdf format. Our main office is located in Room 209. Contact information for these facilities can be found on our contact page.

Hilo Bay Site - Keaukaha

The Keaukaha site is located immediately south of the Port of Hilo along the bay and 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.

At Keaukaha, a constant supply of water is pumped from two underground wells, a brackish well drilled to a depth 40" and a seawater well drilled to a depth of 350".

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.

University of Hawa’ii 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.

The Big Island of Hawai’i

Photo source: http://www.bigisland.us/