Field Guide
Coastal Plants.
Salt-tolerant species that thrive at the edge of the Pacific. Browse the full coastal plant guide for ʻōhai, naupaka kahakai, hala and more.
Field Guide
The coastal plants of Hawaiʻi form the littoral fringe — a band of salt-tolerant species that stabilizes the shoreline and once dominated the original Waikīkī coast before development.
Many were carried to the islands by the first Polynesian voyagers and remain culturally significant today, providing food, fiber, medicine, and ceremonial materials.
Visit our dedicated Coastal Plants guide for the full list of species you can spot around the Aquarium grounds.
