OPIHI
OPIHI (Our Project In Hawai‘i’s Intertidal) is a suite of science education programs that use Hawai‘i’s intertidal and coastal environments to immerse students in the scientific process.
Citizen Science
OPIHI is primarily a citizen science program where teachers and students survey the limu (algae) and invertebrate communities of rocky intertidal areas in Hawai‘i. Students have the opportunity to improve their scientific skills while gathering important data in an area that has not been well-studied in Hawai‘i. Data is collected on this website, and is made publicly available through our OPIHI database (coming soon).
Place-based Learning
While taking part in OPIHI, students will learn about topics in marine ecology and conservation, species identification, and sampling techniques. Most importantly, participating in OPIHI will build students’ confidence and interest in science. We hope this place-based learning connects students to their local environments and natural resources and encourages stewardship of Hawai‘i’s natural resources.
Get Started with OPIHI
Are you an educator who wants to get your students participating in OPIHI activities and data collection? Learn more about how to get started in our OPIHI guide (coming soon)!
Identification Guide
Have you ever collected shells or algae at the beach and wondered what they were called? Explore some of the organisms that live in the intertidal with the help of this guide; you can buy a waterproof version!
View OPIHI Data
OPIHI citizen science data is publicly available (coming soon)! OPIHI data can be used to look at how organisms in the intertidal are distributed across Hawai‘i and track changes in this environment over time.
What is an ‘opihi?
The ‘opihi is a large limpet found only in the rocky intertidal in Hawai‘i. The cultural importance and threatened status of the ‘opihi are representative of why we are interested in the intertidal.