Mangroves in Ko'olaupoko

Mangrove were introduced to the Ko'olaupoko moku in the 1920's for their erosion control and shoreline protection benefits, but by 2000 they were widespread with about 30 acres of dense forest in He'eia.

In Hawai'i, mangrove negatively affect habitat in the following ways:

• destroys native ecosystems
• blocks stream passage of endemic o'opu
• destroys shorebird nesting and breeding ground
• harbors invasive macrofauna
• does not provide permanent carbon sink

At He'eia, Hui o Ko'olaupoko, Paepae o He'eia, and Kāko’o ‘Ōiwi, are removing the biggest forest of mangrove on O'ahu and many other groups are eradicating smaller patches in areas throughout the State.

One of the tricky things about mangrove removal is that parent trees are highly prolific. Mangrove propagules, like the ones pictured above, float along waterways and at sea in great abundance from even a single tree. The key to eradicating this invasive is to first remove all the parent trees and then remove any propagules. The neat thing about the propagules is that they can be easily killed just by snapping the little pods in half.

If you would like to assist with removing this harmful invasive species, please join us for a volunteer day or donate today!