The Great Huki

As of  May 31, 2011:

More than 1,500 Tons (over 3 million pounds) of leather mudweed have been removed and 26.8 acres cleared!

Project Accomplishments:

                April 2009 - Paiko Reef Buried in Invasive Algae                   August 2010 - Paiko Reef Cleared of Leather Mudweed

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Project Description

The Maunalua Bay Reef Restoration Project, otherwise known as “The Great Huki”, is a project of The Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i and community-based stewardship organization Mālama Maunalua.  The Great Huki was initiated in 2009 with a grant from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  

The project is designed to:

• Create or support approximately 75 full- and part-time jobs 
• Expand community efforts to restore Maunalua Bay
• Remove 23 acres of invasive alien algae known as leather mudweed (Avrainvillea amadelpha) from the inshore of Maunalua Bay.

Local land management company Pono Pacific is the contractor selected to conduct the large-scale removal of the invasive non-native algae.  Project work commenced on the inshore at Paiko, Kuliou'ou of O`ahu's southeast shore on March 15, 2010 and is scheduled to run until February of 2011.  

Aerial photo by Kenji Salmoiraghi taken before The Great Huki.  Note the one square cleared by community volunteers.  

Reasons for The Maunalua Bay Reef Restoration Project

As recently as the 1950s, Maunalua Bay is known to have been a highly productive marine resource and a major source of food for many families who lived in the Maunalua Bay Region (described as the area of southeast O`ahu from Kawaihoa (Koko Head) to Kūpikipiki‘ō (Black Point) to the Ko`olau ridgeline).

Evidence of the bay's renowned productivity can be found in the fishing rules of a regional fishing hui published in the 1950s which define the catch limits for one member and guest, per day:  30 fish, 5 octopus, and 5 lobster. 

Since that time, the water quality of Maunalua Bay has degraded considerably and it has lost much of the vibrant marine life it once held.  

In an effort to understand the processes impacting the Bay, in 2006 Mālama Maunalua began working with scientists from the University of Hawaii (UH), NOAA, The Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i, and others to identify the constituents contributing to the decline of this once productive resource.  They identified 3 major threats to the Bay:  

1. Invasive alien algae (non-native seaweeds)
2. Land-based sediment and pollutants, and  
3. Unsustainable harvesting/fishing practices. 

It has been determined that removing the invasive algae is a critical first step in restoring clear waters and abundant marine life to Maunalua Bay.  

Beginning of Restoration

In 2006, Mālama Maunalua began working with community members to remove invasive algae from the Bay.  Since that time, approximately 700 people have participated in these efforts, and over 100 tons of non-native algae have been cleared from the reef flats of Maunalua Bay.  

Areas cleared by the community have remained free of the invasive algae for more than two years.  With the clearing of a much larger area through The Great Huki, we look forward to the return of a thriving marine habitat and the return of native species to the area.

Join the Community Effort!   Become a Huki Volunteer.

The Great Huki

The community's efforts received a boost in 2009 with NOAA's award of federal stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii to conduct large-scale removal of the leather mudweed (Avrainvillea amadelpha).  

The funding has created 55 new local jobs, maintains 20 existing jobs, and will result in 23 acres of the Bay being cleared of invasive algae.  Formally known as “The Maunalua Bay Reef Restoration Project,” we've dubbed this endeavor “The Great Huki” - “huki” meaning “pull” in the Hawaiian language.  

Anticipated Project Results

In bringing the community's invasive algae removal effort 

up to the large scale, The Great Huki will create a biologically significant area for native fish, sea grass, and limu (algae) to begin repopulating their natural habitats on the inshore areas of Maunalua Bay.

In the newly cleared areas, the Bay's natural currents are expected to carry accumulated mud off the inshore, improving overall water quality in the bay and giving native plants and animals in the cleaned areas a chance to regenerate.  

In addition, the community's capacity for ongoing management of the bay will be increased.

Operational Details

Pono Pacific's approach to this project is to make the lowest impact possible, showing the highest respect for place and for the community.

Removal of the algae is being done by hand.  Once pulled, the algae is taken to shore by kayak (no motorboats), exactly as has been done in the community volunteer hukis that have been ongoing since 2006.  

Special precautions are taken to ensure that the extracted algae do not spread to other areas.  Once removed, the invasive algae are taken to an Oahu-based green-waste company or local farmers for recycling/composting with other green waste.

The University of Hawaii has tested the algae and confirmed that it is safe for use on farmlands.

The Maunalua Bay Reef Restoration Project is helping give a boost to existing community efforts to create a model for contemporary ahupua'a (ridge-to-reef) management practices in Hawai'i.  The community will continue this work long after the project ends in the early part of 2011.