Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium to Hold "Coral Reproduction Exhibition 2026" Featuring World-First Display of Coral Spawning Control Technology

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (Location: Motobu Town, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture; Director: Keiichi Sato) will hold the "Coral Reproduction Exhibition 2026" in conjunction with the coral spawning season.

As related events, a night-time spawning observation tour in a back-of-house tank, a joint project with Ryukyu University, and a live stream of the coral mass spawning event are planned on SNS.

Through seeing, learning, and experiencing, we will introduce the mysterious breeding ecology of corals in an easy-to-understand manner.

**Experience the Mystery of Coral Spawning: "Coral Reproduction Exhibition"**

**Period:** Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Tuesday, June 30, 2026 **Location:** Inside Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium **Content:** Centered around a coral spawning display utilizing world-unique environmental control technology for full spawning control, the exhibition will introduce the mechanisms of coral reproduction through limited-time displays of coral larvae and juveniles, explanatory panels, and an experience of the smell of coral eggs. **Fee:** Aquarium admission fee only

*(Image: Image of the spawning time-controlled water tank)*

**First Time Ever! Observe Spawning in the Nighttime Backstage Area: "Let's See Coral Spawning Night?!"**

**Date & Time:** Monday, June 1, 2026 & Tuesday, June 2, 2026 / 18:30 – 20:30 **Participation Fee:** ¥3,500 per person **Capacity:** 10 people per day (middle school students and older) (Advance reservation system via dedicated website starting May 1st) **Content:** In collaboration with Ryukyu University, we will conduct a coral spawning observation tour. We will deliver stories that can only be heard here, from researchers and keepers, in the aquarium's back-of-house tanks, which are usually off-limits. Depending on the timing, you may witness the mysterious moment of mass coral spawning.

*(Please check the official HP for participation conditions, reservations, etc.)* Details here *(Image: Image of spawning observation)*

**The Cycle of Life in the Nighttime Tank: "Mass Spawning Live Stream"**

**Date & Time:** One or several days in mid-May to early June / Around 22:00 **Content:** In conjunction with the mass coral spawning observed in the "Sea of Coral" tank, one of the largest in aquariums in Japan, we will hold a live stream on our official Instagram. Explanatory staff will enthusiastically convey the mysterious ecology of the Acropora family, which spawns once a year.

*(Please note that live streaming may not be possible depending on the condition of the organisms.)* *(We will announce on official Instagram stories before the broadcast.)* *(Image: Scene from the spawning live stream)*

**About Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium** "Chura" in "Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium" means "beautiful, pure" in the Okinawan language. Under the exhibition concept of recreating the rich natural sea of Okinawa, we create a place for encounters with diverse aquatic life living in the waters of the Southwest Islands and the Kuroshio Current, with the theme of "Encounters with Okinawa's Sea." As a world-leading aquarium, we conduct research on the conservation and reproduction of rare species, as well as biological research, and aim to be a hub facility that provides high-quality educational opportunities to everyone and leads sustainable tourism. It is certified as a registered museum by law among museums across Japan.

*(Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is managed and operated by the "General Incorporated Foundation Okinawa Chishima Foundation" (URL https://churashima.okinawa/))*