illustration by Ben Lueders

A Keiki Activity Book
 

Why 


is 


Hawaii’s 


ocean 


important?
 

 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? 

Toothpaste, poke, puka shell necklaces, medicine and rain are just some of 

the things that come from the ocean. 

In many ways--more than we know--we are connected to the ocean. Without it, 

we could not survive. And guess what? the ocean depends on us too! 

Everything we do, including watering the grass, throwing away rubbish and 

snorkeling, has a huge 

effect on the sea and 

the creatures who live 

there. 

Anything that goes down 

a drain in your house or 

neighborhood eventually 

makes its way to the 

ocean. 

Grabbing or standing on 

coral can kill it, not to 

mention threatening the 

animals and plants living 

there. 

it’s easy to see that by 

taking good care of 

the ocean, we take good 

care of ourselves. 

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa (Ben Lueders) 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

A publication of NOAA/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

1 
What is wrong with this reef? 

Answers: baseball, surfboard, hat, tire, 2 bottles, clock, bottle cap, fi shing pole, snorkel mask, golf ball, 

anchor, barrel of toxic waste, 6-pack plastic ring, glasses, broom, soda can, football, rubber slipper, 

boot, hammer, nails 

marine debris (Ben Lueders) 

Can you find and color 21 things wrong with this reef? 

Answers are at the bottom of this page. 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

2 
Keep our ocean clean 

Help the lauwiliwilinukunukuoioi find its way home while keeping 

away from the pollution. 

1 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 

Activity from the Waikiki Aquarium 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 

3 
The Reef is Alive! 

corals are living animals, not rocks. can you find at least 12 

animals living among the coral and algae? 

 sh, sh, lizardfi sh, octopus, surgeonfi sh, scorpionfi sh, anglerfi Answers: wrasse (3), moorish idol, sea star, sea horse, trumpetfi

ounder, sea slug and more. sh, fl spiny lobster, featherduster worm, hermit crab, coral goby, shrimpfi

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 

Activity from the Waikiki Aquarium 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 

4 
 

Secret Code 

Unlock the secret message 

hiding in these special code 

symbols. use the chart on the 

right to Replace the shapes 

below with the letter equal 

to it. 

= S 

= A 

= D 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

_ _ _ _! 

goatfish (Ben Lueders) 

= G 

= E 

= F 

= O 

= I 

= V 

=N 

= L 

= R 

=U 

_ _ _ _ 

Answer: A living reef gives our islands life! 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 

Activity from the Hawaii’s Living Reef Campaign. 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 

5 
Make a Look Box 

5. Allow the caulk to dry for 24 hours. 

6. Check for leaks by filling the bucket. If it leaks, you can either start over or add a bead 

of caulk to the inner and outer edges of the acrylic. Remember to treat all marine life with 

respect. If you do use the look box for holding marine life, place only one animal in the bucket 

at a time. 

* BE A GOOD REEF VISITOR and Have fun! * 

2. Cut out the bottom of the bucket with a 

coping or thin bladed saw. Leave a 1⁄4 - 1⁄2 inch lip. 

3. Lay down a bead of clear silicone caulk on the 

inside of the lip. 

4. Insert a piece* of clear acrylic (e.g., Plexiglas ®) 

or plastic. Press down to get a good seal. You do not 

have to clean up the excess caulk that squeezes out (it 

will probably just smear anyway). 

*You can get a piece of 3/16 inch acrylic cut to your required 

dimensions via any of the local plastic companies. Check the Yellow Pages for companies or you can cut your own sheet of plastic 

purchased from a hardware store. 

2-5 gal. 

bucket 

cut 

Caulk 

Add clear plastic 

Finished look box 

important: this activity requires the help of a responsible adult. 

When using the box please take care not step on the coral. have 

fun and enjoy our beautiful ocean! 

1. Determine the size of the look box. For children, we favor 1 gallon buckets. Adults may wish 

to have a 2 - 5 gallon bucket. You can get these buckets* from paint or hardware stores. 

*Other options exist as well. Kitchen buckets are often too flimsy and containers with low edges tend to swamp, but plastic 

flower pots and other tall-sided containers make acceptable look boxes. 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 

Activity from the Waikiki Aquarium 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 

6 
 

Blacktip reef shark and limu kohu (Ben Lueders) 

Northwestern hawaiian islands word search 

How many of these words can you find? Words can be backwards, forwards, 

diagonal and, even, backwards and diagonal. 

Plants and Animals 

Limu 

Loulu 

Monk Seal 

Sanctuary 

Geology 

Atoll 

Coral 

Sand 

Sea mount 

Volcano 

Islands 

Kure 

Laysan 

Mokumanamana 

Pearl 

M N A S Y A L V A S L K 

B O A L A K O Q L A L U 

S N K E R L N A E N O R 

D C S U C A R O Z C T E 

L A W A M O E G g T A I 

L L N G C A D P O U L G 

V O s t n d N Q P A A V 

H G U E E E W A X R c N 

X R O L u m I L M Y S J 

G M B S U Y J W D A L W 

P O l a e s k n o m N N 

s e a m o U n t W H K A 

Mark Heckman 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 

Activity from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve 7

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 
 

Northwestern hawaiian islands word search answers 

M N A S Y A L V A S L K 

B O A L A K O Q L A L U 

S N K E R L N A E N O R 

D C S U C A R O Z C T E 

L A W A M O E G g T A I 

L L N G C A D P O U L G 

V O s t n d N Q P A A V 

H G U E E E W A X R c N 

X R O L u m I L M Y S J 

G M B S U Y J W D A L W 

P O l a e s k n o m N N 

s e a m o U n t W H K A 

Plants and Animals 

Limu is the Hawaiian word for seaweed. 

Loulu palms are endemic to Hawaii. 

The Hawaiian Monk Seal is endemic to Hawaii. 

Sanctuary is a safe place for plants and animals to live. 

Geology 

Atoll is a ring-shaped coral island that encloses a lagoon. 

Coral is an animal that creates a hard skeleton. A collection of coral can form 

reefs or islands. 

White Sand is made up of ground up coral, seashells, algae and even tiny skeletons. 

Sea mount is an island beneath the sea. 

Volcanoes created the island chain by spilling out molten lava. 

Islands 

Kure atoll is the last in the chain and a true atoll. 

Laysan Island has one of five natural lakes in the state. 

Mokumanamana is the original Hawaiian name for Necker Island, one of the first two 

islands in the Northwestern Hawaiian Island chain. 

Pearl and Hermes Reef is one of the more northern in the chain. Hawaiian pearl oysters were 

harvested here until too many were taken. 

Why is our ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Northwestern Hawaiian Isalnds Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

8 
Guess whose shark teeth! 

Directions: Match the shark teeth on the left to the shark 

that they belong to on the right. 

A. Scalloped Hammerhead 

B. Galapagos 

D. Tiger 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Answers: 1.B, 2.A, 3.D, 4.C Illustrations by Ben Lueders 

C. Grey Reef 

Each species of shark has a distinct shape to their teeth. Using just one 

tooth, scientists can identify the shark to which it belongs! 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

9 
write your own comic strip 

if they could talk, what would sea creatures say to each other? Take 

a look at this ocean scene and write things they would say. 

Ben Lueders 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf


10 
Matching game: larvae to adult 

when many sea creatures hatch from their egg, they are called larvae. often, 

larve look different from the adults they will become. 

Can you match the adults on the left with their larval form on the right? 

answers are at the bottom of this page. 

Illustrations by Ben Lueders 

A. Flounder 

B. Pencil Urchin 

C. Scorpionfi sh 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

D. Caulifl ower Coral 

E. Sea Snail 

Answers: A.2, B.5, C.1, D.3, E.4 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

11 
How to draw a monk seal 

1. Draw two oval eyes. 

2. Draw the face, nose and mouth. 

3, Draw dots in and next to the eyes. 

Draw a chin and dots for whiskers 

near the nose. Draw the body. 

4. Draw flippers and a tail. Erase 

the bottom portion of the head 

leaving the chin. You are fi nished! 

Directions: Use a pencil, for you will have to erase a line at the end.When you are 

finished, you can trace over the pencil lines in pen or color your seal. 

There are fewer than 1500 Hawaiian 

monk seals left in the world. Baby 

monk seals (called pups) make a 

“mwaa, mwaa, mwaa” sound when 

calm and a loud “aaah” or “gaah” 

when scared. Adults make a “bubbling” sound when alarmed. 

Illustrations by Ben Lueders 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

12 
Whale Identification 

Scientists identify individual humpback whales by studying their tails, which are also known 

as flukes. The scalloping, color patterns and scars on the underside of the flukes are as 

unique as your fingerprints. 

Approximately 5,000 humpback whales migrate to the warm, protected waters of Hawaii each 

year, making Hawaii a great place for whale researchers to learn more about this endangered species. 

match the numbered flukes on the left with the flukes on the right. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

A 

B 

C 

D 

Answers: 1 D, 2 B, 3 A, 4 C 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 

Activity from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary 13 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

local names 

Because of Hawaii’s many different cultures, some sea creatures have many 

different names. Can you match up the creatures on the left with their local 

names on the right? 

*HInt: Some of them may have more than one name. Answers are at the bottom of this page. 

A. Naia (Hawaii) 

B. Mano puele (Hawaii) 

c. hee (Hawaii) 

D. Tako (Japan) 

E. Manini (Hawaii) 

F. Menpachi (Japan) 

G. Marracho tigre (Portugal) 

H. Wawaeiole (Hawaii) 

I. Popoklo (philippines) 

J. Uu (Hawaii) 

1. Octopus 

2. Dolphin 

3. Soldierfish 

4. Convict Tang 

5. Tiger Shark (juvenile) 

Illustrations by Ben Lueders 

Answers: 1. C&D, 2. A, 3. F&J, 4. E, 5. B&G, 6. H&I 

6. Codium Edule 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 

Activity from Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 

14 
Color by number 

Color in this adult and juvenile UHU (Parrotfish) using 

the color key as your guide. 

1= Cerulean (Bright blue) 

2= blue 

3= turquoise 

4= orange 

5= pink 

6= lime-green 

7= yellow 

8= grey 

9= black 

Parrotfish are a major source of sand. As they 

graze on coral to get at algae hidden within, special 

bones in their throat grind up the coral chunks. 

Eventually, the ground coral exits the back end of 

the fish as sand. 

Adult and juvenile uhu (Ben Lueders) 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

15 
Limu press How to keep your own algal specimen 

Directions for pressing your algae are on the folllowing page.

 Ben Lueders 

MATERIALS 

• pan with water 

• paper (index cards, botany paper or heavy cardstock) 

• waxed paper (cut into pieces to fit the card/paper; need one piece per card) 

• old newspaper (to absorb the moisture) 

• pieces of cloth/old sheets (cut into pieces to fit over the cards/paper) 

• pieces of corrugated cardboard 

• heavy weights 

• electric fan 

• brushes (to work the specimens) 

A long time ago, before freeze drying and refrigeration, scientific explorers needed to 

invent a way to preserve samples of newly discovered plant species. This inspired the 

creation of the plant press, a method that removes water from the plant. 

This activity uses the basic pressing techniques still used today by scientists. Instead of 

selecting only one alga per sheet, you may decide to create a collage of seaweeds by 

arranging a few different types on one sheet. This can become a notecard, a paperweight, or 

can be framed. 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Botany


 www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

16 
Limu press continued 

1. Collect your algae. Pinch, do not pull. 

2. Bring them home in fresh SEAWATER. 

3. Spread newspaper on work area to keep it dry. 

4. Fill pan with clean seawater (about 1⁄2 inch deep). 

5. Select algae to be used. 

6. Place selected algae into pan of water. 

7. Put heavyweight paper in the water, under the selected algae. 

8. Float the alga into place. You can spread, trim, and arrange. 

9. Lift gently paper from water with the arranged algae. 

10. Drain carefully as much water as possible from the paper without disturbing your 

arrangement. 

11. Place the paper with your arrangement on a folded section of newspaper. 

12. Place a piece of waxed paper over the arrangement. 

13. Place a cloth over the waxed paper. 

14. Place another layer of folded newspaper over the cloth. 

15. Place corrugated cardboard squares on top & bottom

 to help dry your “sandwich”. 

16. Repeat this process for as many algal sheets as you have. 

17. Set gently entire bundle into a plant press. (Plant presses use heavy weight on top 

 to fl atten plants.) 

18. Dry the stack with air flow to avoid mold and mildew. 

19. Check stack after 24 hours. Newspaper, cloth, and cardboard may need to be 

 changed if a lot of water has been absorbed to prevent mold and mildew forming. 

20. After 3-4 days, remove arrangements. Glue card onto construction paper cut 

about 1/4 to 1/2 inches wider and longer than arrangement sheet. (This will frame the 

arrangement.) 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Botany
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

17 
Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 18 Activity from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 
Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf


 19 
Turtle True or False 

1. Green sea turtles are 20 years old before they become adults. T / F 

2. Hawksbill sea turtles use their long, narrow beaks to search for food. T / F 

3. The Hawksbill sea turtle eat sponges that are poisonous to humans. T / F 

4. It is safe to eat hawksbill sea turtles. T / F 

5. The hawksbill sea turtle is native to Hawaii. T / F 

6. Sea turtles can pull their heads or flippers into their shells. T / F 

7. The leatherback sea turtle has a hard shell. T / F 

8. The leatherback sea turtle is the world’s largest turtle. It can grow up to eight 

feet long and weight up to 2,000 pounds. T / F 

Answers: 1. True, 2.True, 3.True, 4.False: Hawksbill Sea Turtle meat can be poisonous to humans, 5.True, 6.False, 7.False: The Leatherback Sea Turtle has a soft shell, 8.True 

Three species of sea turtles are considered native to Hawaii: green (honu), 

hawksbill (ea), and leatherback (lai). Two other species, the loggerhead and olive 

ridley are sometimes observed in Hawaiian waters. 

Test your knowledge of sea turtles. circle true or false next to the following 

sentences. Check your answers at the bottom of the page. 

Illustration by Ben Lueders 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 20 Activity from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 
Mobile cutout 

finger coral 

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Color brown and green turf algae onto 

part of the finger coral. 

2. Cut out the four sea animals. 

3. Make 6 paper clip chains (two 6-inches 

and four 3-inches). 

4. Thread and center a straw at the bottom of a 6-inch chain. 

5. On the left side of the same straw, 

thread the other 6-inch chain. On the right 

side thread a 3-inch chain. 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23 

Supplies needed: 

Scissors 

Paper clips 

Hole punch 

Plastic drinking straws (3) 

Illustrations by Ben Lueders 

ornate 

butterflyfish 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

21 
Mobile cutout 

DIRECTIONS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22: 

6. Thread and center a second straw at 

the bottom of the 6-inch chain. 

7. Thread and center a third straw at the 

bottom of the 3-inch chain. 

8. Attach the animals to the remaining 

3-inch chains and attach to the ends of the 

straws. 

9. (Optional) Create another chain and 

attach the food chain explanation to your 

mobile. 

22 

finger coral 

ornate 

butterflyfish 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book
 

Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 
 

 

Mobile cutout 

lizard fish 

Yellow Tang 

how does this food chain 

work? 

A food chain shows how some animals are 

herbivores (eat plants) and some are carnivores (eat animals). 

A finger coral is a planktivore, a carnivore 

that eats animal larvae in the plankton. 

The ornate butterflyfish is a corallinavore, a 

carnivore that eats coral. 

The yellow tang is an herbivore. It eats the 

turf algae growing on coral. 

The lizardfish is a piscavore. It is a carnivore 

that eats both the yellow tang and 

ornate butteflyfish. 

Illustrations by Ben Lueders 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 

Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program 23 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 
 

 

Mobile cutout 

lizard fish 

how does this food chain 

work? 

A food chain shows how some animals are 

herbivores (eat plants) and some are carnivores (eat animals). 

A finger coral is a planktivore, a carnivore 

that eats animal larvae in the plankton. 

The ornate butterflyfish is a corallinavore, a 

carnivore that eats coral. 

The yellow tang is an herbivore. It eats the 

turf algae growing on coral. 

The lizardfish is a piscavore. It is a carnivore 

that eats both the yellow tang and 

ornate butteflyfish. 

Yellow Tang 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 24 Activity from the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 
Things you can do to help 

1. Stand only in the sandy areas. Rocky areas are covered with a thin layer 

of living plants and animals, including very young coral. 

2. Enjoy watching fish, but do not feed them. Bread, peas, corn, other 

human foods and human-created fish foods can be harmful to fish. These 

foods change fish behavior or choke them. 

3. Swim smoothly and calmly. That way you will be able to get 

closer to fish, and you won’t stir up sand that can make it harder to see 

them. 

4. Pick up trash in the water or on the beach and place it in the rubbish bin. 

Plastic bags are often blown into the water by the wind. Sea turtles can 

mistake these plastic bags for jellyfish, their natural food, and eat them and 

get very sick or die. 

5. Use waterproof sunscreen when going into the ocean. Sunscreen that is 

not waterproof washes off into the water and pollutes the water. 

6. Use the restrooms found throughout the beach park. Going to the 

bathroom in the water adds unwanted nutrients. 

7. Do not take anything that belongs at the beach. Leave the rocks, shells, 

and sand there. Take only photos and memories away with you. 

8. Share this information with a friend. Take the time to teach 

others how to take care of Hawaii’s living reefs and ocean. 

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A keiki activity book 

This activity was brought to you by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant 25 

www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf 
Copies of this activity book can be downloaded from: 


http://www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/hibook.pdf
 

for more activity books, visit the following pages:
 

Chesapeake Bay Activity Book: http://www.nccos.noaa.gov/education/cbbook
 

Coastal North Carolina Activity Book: http://www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/ncbook.pdf
 

Salish Sea Activity Book: http://www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/education/ssbook.pdf
 

Mobile Bay Activity Book: http://www.coastalscience.noaa/gov/education/mbbook.pdf
 

Produced by: Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative Research Program
 

Under the direction of: NOAA/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences


 In collaboration with: Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, University of Hawaii Sea Grant, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, 


University of Hawaii at Manoa Department of Botany, Waikiki Aquarium, State of Hawaii 


Division of Aquatic Resources, Hawaii’s Living Reef Campaign
 

Designed by Lisa Huynh
 

July 2005