Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology

The institute was established in 1912. It began as a wooden structure on the shores of Waikiki and originally functioned in conjunction with the Waikiki Aquarium until 1919 when both operations became part of the University of Hawai‘i. In 1947 a group of wealthy oil tycoons, including Edwin W. Pauley, bought Coconut Island. Pauley donated a part of the island to the university for use as a marine laboratory for the study of the marine sciences. In 1993, the Pauley family donated the remaining private part of Coconut Island for the construction of a world-class marine laboratory. The intent is to turn Coconut Island into the world's premier coral reef research facility. ==Geography==

Coconut Island is approximately , including of enclosed lagoons used to keep organisms being studied in captivity. Surrounding it are of coral reef, designated by the state of Hawai‘i as the Hawai‘i Marine Laboratory Refuge. It is part of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. It is the only research facility in the world built on a coral reef. ==Habitat==

The HIMB research facilities are used to explore deep-sea habitats where new species may be discovered and documented, as well as shallow reefs which are rich habitats likely to contain undiscovered species. ==Programs==

Hawai‘i Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (CRAMP) is located at HIMB. It established a statewide network of more than 30 long-term coral reef monitoring sites with associated data collection systems. It went on to include rapid quantitative research and habitat mapping, which are tools new used to understand the ecology of the Hawaiian coral reefs in relation to surrounding geographic areas. One study of the HIMB research projects is on the effects of sound on dolphins. Another is the study of chemicals in Enchanted Lake. In 2015, the institute was testing a new form of coral resistant to coral bleaching. The institute also spoke publicly to argue in favor of banning sunscreens with chemicals, as they majorly contribute to coral bleaching. ==See also==