Out of sight though coral reefs may be, they are not out of mind for marine biologists. A team from the Arizona State University Center for Biological Diversity and Conservation Science has been studying the decline of Hawaii’s reefs, especially a 120-mile stretch off the west shore of Hawaii island.

Now that study has culminated in ‘Ako‘ako‘a, a $25 million preservation and restoration initiative, including construction of a Kailua-Kona center. That’s a welcome gift, and from a land-locked state.