The largest single area dedicated to conservation in the United States,
and one of the largest in the world, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
is home to over 7,000 marine species, a quarter of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Offering visitors a nearly once-in-a-lifetime experience to see some of these fishes and corals in their natural habitats, the Waikiki Aquarium's new Northwestern Hawaiian Islands exhibit will feature a living reef ecosystem representative of that found in the world's most isolated islands.

Among the unique organisms to be featured in the 4,000-gallon public display will be table corals, masked angelfish, yellow barbel goatfish and Japanese pygmy angelfish. These species are abundant around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, but are extremely rare or absent around the Main Hawaiian Islands. Interactive touch screens associated with the exhibit will provide additional information on the significance of the islands, their ecology and biodiversity, and the importance of preserving this almost pristine marine ecosystem for future generations.