(Photo Courtesy of The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi, 2012)
Kākoʻo ʻOiwi, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi and members of the Hui ʻUlu Mea ʻAi are exploring the potential for invasive alien limu (algae) removed from Kāneʻohe Bay to be used in composting.
According to The Nature Conservancy of Hawaiʻi:
Invasive algae were introduced into the bay for aquaculture about 30 years ago. Fed by nutrient-rich sediment, and without healthy populations of native plant-eating fish and sea urchins to keep them in check, they quickly spread. Today, they form thick, tangled mats that are destroying the bay’s ecology and turning its reefs into an algae-smothered wasteland.
Utilizing its Super Sucker technology (a giant, barge-mounted vacuum cleaner that sucks invasive algae off the reef) the Conservancy along with the State Division of Aquatic Resources has harvested volumes of micronutrient-rich alien limu from the Bay that can be composted along with other natural material to enhance soils and fertilize agricultural crops. Over the next few months, Kākoʻo and Hui ʻUlu Mea ʻAi will conduct a series of experiments focused on creating an optimal limu compost blend that can eventually be distributed for use by local area farmers.