About Big Island Abalone
The 10-acre aquafarm is run by Big Island Abalone to provide the global market for quality, live abalone. The building is situated next to the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport in Hawaii's Big Island, along the Kona Coast. The biggest aquaculture facility in the USA is for abalone. For a number of reasons, the Kona Coast of Hawaii's island was selected as the best place to grow abalone. First, compared to other coastal areas in the USA, the Kona Coast receives more sunlight annually. Large-scale kelp cultivation, the main source of food for abalone, requires such sunlight. Second, the Big Island Abalone has continuous access to pure, chilly, nutrient-rich saltwater that is pumped from a depth of 3, 000 feet in the Pacific Ocean close to the Kona Coast. The Kona Abalone and the kelp planted on the farm to feed the abalone both require this seawater to grow. And last, because Hawaii is situated halfway between Asia and North America, it is possible to send live, fresh abalone to markets on both continents.