Storyteller Series Ep. 1 - Lauʻīpala Restoration

It began with a quiet moment on the shoreline of Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute, In the gentle calm of morning, a team of scientists and caretakers arrives, preparing to return life to the reef.

Over 300 tiny yellow tang, or lauʻīpala, born not in the wild, but in a quiet hatchery in Waimānalo.

Their journey back to the ocean is more than just a scientific milestone, it’s a homecoming. And it’s a story of hope.

For generations, Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs have cradled life, culture, and identity. But in recent years, those reefs have faced mounting threats, from climate change to overgrowth of algae. The Lauʻīpala, once abundant, began to disappear from some areas. These bright yellow fish may be small, but they play a big role: they graze on algae, keeping the reef healthy so coral can thrive.

Recognizing this need, the Oceanic Institute of Hawai‘i Pacific University partnered with Disney’s Aulani Resort to try something never done before in Hawaiʻi: release fish into the wild, not for food, but for restoration.

The eggs that became these Lauʻīpala were collected from Aulani’s Rainbow Reef exhibit. In the careful hands of OI’s aquaculture team, the eggs hatched and the fish grew, safely and steadily.

Every step of the way, they were monitored and cared for, not just as specimens, but as future reef guardians.

Before their release, the young fish were given a clean bill of health by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Then, on a calm November morning, they were set free into the waters that had waited for them.

This wasn’t just science. It was aloha.

It was a reunion between species and ecosystem, between past and future.

This project is a first, but not the last.

It’s a new kind of conservation story, one where restoration begins not with what’s missing, but with what can return.

With support from the Disney Aulani and local community members, OI hopes to expand this work, raising and releasing more native species to bring balance back to Hawaiʻi’s reefs.

Because every fish has a story. And sometimes, that story leads to whats most important. Road back to home.

Location: Oahu, Hawaii

Photograph & written by: Jun Tagai

Filmed w/ Nikon Zf