Kupe and the Corals / No Kupe a Me Na Ko’a: Exploring a South Pacific Island Atoll

One night, when Kupe is helping his father fish from their canoe, he sees little bubbles coming from the bottom of the ocean. He collects some to take home, and his mother suggests he visit the Atitia Center, where scientists work with local educators and traditional experts. There he learns about coral spawning--a yearly event where corals release

Jacqueline L. Padilla-Gamiño, PhD, is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California Santa Barbara, whose graduate work focused on the ecophysiology of algae and reef-building corals. In addition to illustrating many books, Marjorie Leggitt currently teaches botanical illustration at the Denver Botanic Gardens School of Botanical Art and Illustration. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.