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To quote James Michener’s opening in Hawai‘i, “Millions upon millions of years ago, when the continents were already formed and the principal features of the earth had been decided, there existed, then as now, one aspect of the world that dwarfed all others. It was a mighty ocean, resting uneasily to the east of the largest continent, a restless ever-changing, gigantic body of water that would later be described as pacific.” |
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In the ensuing millions of years, the Hawaiian Islands formed in the Pacific Ocean and life in the surrounding seas and on the islands evolved. In the broader scheme of all things Hawai‘i, the sea is #1.
After all, it was here first. Since the arrival of the first humans on the archipelago and for all the generations that have followed,
the
surrounding ocean waters have been a primary source of food, transportation and recreation. During post-contact years, these waters have been revered and ignored; protected and abused. As generation after generation of humans have come and gone, their impact on the world's oceans and the fragile ecosystems therein have been increasingly negative, and Hawai ‘i is no different. Clearly, the need to minimize the “negative” has never been more important.
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One giant step to help facilitate that need is simply to engage more and more people from many perspectives to enhance their understanding and appreciation of the ocean, it's creatures and plant life, and to promote an appreciation of the importance a “healthy” ocean plays in human well being. Hopefully over time the negative impacts will diminish as encouragement, and actions, to be better stewards of the sea grows.
We are pleased to develop and present Hawaii Ocean Journal and open to ideas and comments, so get involved and share your thoughts and ideas with us. The goal of this website is a big undertaking which can be reached only through the efforts of many. We hope you'll choose to be a participant in our growing community. |
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