NELHA's Hawaii Ocean Science Technology Park
Just south of Kona International Airport, a big building with a large photovoltaic (solar) panel installation resembles a top-secret military station, but it's actually the site of the Natural Energy Lab of Hawaii Authority's (NELHA) Hawaii Ocean Science Technology Park and worth a visit. Tours offered by the nonprofit Keahole Center for Sustainability, which helps administer the park, start with the innovative Gateway building and encompass the center's history, finishing with a visit to some of the park's tenants. Here, scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs make use of a cold, deep-sea pipeline to develop and market everything from desalinated, mineral-rich drinking water and super-nutritious algae products to energy-efficient air-conditioning systems to environmentally friendly aquaculture techniques. Seahorses, abalone, kampachi (a type of yellowtail), Dungeness crab, and Maine lobsters are raised here, too. There's also a natural history tour that takes visitors along the shoreline to learn about seabirds, tide pool denizens, and other marine inhabitants.
