If you want to see positive results from stimulus funding, just take a look at Maunalua Bay.
Fifty people are employed there right now, removing invasive algae.
It is not easy work. The task for this crew is to remove invasive algae - mud weed from 22 acres in Maunalua Bay over the next year.
"The group dynamics are just incredible. They're such caring people and so far, we've pulled over 100 thousand pounds of invasive mud weed from the area in just about the last two weeks," said Lei Leong of Pono Pacific.
Many of those on the crew have ties to this area and remember the bounty the bay used to provide.
"Thirty fish, five lobsters, five squid in any 24 hour period so - there's just so much life in the area so we have an opportunity to bring it back," said Leong.
The company is called Pono Pacific Land management and it was formed specifically to remove the invasive algae from this area as part of the Maunalua Bay Reef Restoration project, dubbed "the Great Huki." It's being accomplished through the work of the company and volunteers. And it's an arduous task.
"We set out ten by ten plots and each crew will work on a plot at a time by manually removing the seaweed. The third crew will work on picking up the seaweed on bags. We put them on kayaks to transport them to shore to be taken later to a dump and turned into mulch, hopefully to be used as fertilizer," said Pono Pacific's Marty Santos.
Fortunately, the invasive algae grows at a slower rate than native sea grass, which is making a comeback. Still, recent weather has made the task a bit tougher.
"Some days, it's harder than others lately with the strong trade winds, it gets cold out there. We just talk to everybody, make sure everybody stays warm, make sure everybody wears wet suits. But it's pretty fun," said Santos.
"it really is great out there. The people and just what we're doing. It's fantastic," said Leong.
