Lost on a Reef Exhibit in Hilo, Hawaiʻi

Visitors take a look at the ship's bell from the USS Saginaw, lost at Kure Atoll in 1870 and recovered by maritime archaeologists in 2008. Credit: NOAA/Andy Collins

Papahānaumokuākea's first maritime heritage exhibit was developed for the Monument's Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. In February of 2010, an exhibit called "Lost on a Reef" opened to the public in the Center's program room. .Artifacts from four shipwreck sites: Pearl, Hermes, Parker, and USS Saginaw are displayed along with interpretive panels describing the maritime heritage and management of these resources in PMNM. Artifacts from partner agencies are also displayed alongside the shipwreck artifacts. The Mystic Seaport Museum of America and the Sea generously donated two artifacts—a whaling harpoon and a sextant, and the History of Diving Museum in Islamorada, Florida generously donated a Morse diving helmet and wing nut wrench from its extensive collection. These artifacts all help to tell the story of maritime heritage in Papahānaumokuākea, and bring this fascinating place into public view. In 2011, this exhibit won the John Wesley Powell Prize for Historical Displays.

A view of the Lost on a Reef exhibit at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in Hilo, HI. Credit: NOAA/Andy Collins

Visitor takes a look at the Morse diving helmet donated by the History of Diving Museum in Islamorada, FL. Credit: NOAA/Andy Collins