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Ocean and Earth Science at UHM on Instagram: "To help protect Hawaiʻi’s vulnerable coastal highways from erosion and rising seas, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) is launching the Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Project.
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The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef is a UH-developed living breakwater designed to reduce #wave energy while improving the natural habitat. The system consists of 60 engineered, porous concrete reef mimicking structures manufactured in Hawaiʻi that dissipate wave #energy while allowing water to flow through the reef. #Coral settlement modules attached to the structures will support the recruitment and growth of native corals while specially developed #biomaterials will repel competing algae and accelerate coral growth. These and other technologies being tested will allow the reef to develop into a healthy, self-sustaining ecosystem over time.
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Developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) via its Reefense Program and UH alongside academic, community and industry partners the project is an example of nature-based #coastal engineering—an emerging approach that combines engineered infrastructure with natural ecosystems to protect vulnerable coastlines. The deployment is the result of four years of research and development by the Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) consortium. Led by the UH Applied Research Laboratory and @soest_uh , the initiative brings together researchers from five UH laboratories, partner universities and local organizations, including Makai Ocean Engineering and Kuleana Coral Restoration."
98 likes, 2 comments - soest_uh on September 18, 2026: "To help protect Hawaiʻi’s vulnerable coastal highways from erosion and rising seas, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) is launching the Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Project.
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The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef is a UH-developed living breakwater designed to reduce #wave energy while improving the natural habitat. The system consists of 60 engineered, porous concrete reef mimicking structures manufactured in Hawaiʻi that dissipate wave #energy while allowing water to flow through the reef. #Coral settlement modules attached to the structures will support the recruitment and growth of native corals while specially developed #biomaterials will repel competing algae and accelerate coral growth. These and other technologies being tested will allow the reef to develop into a healthy, self-sustaining ecosystem over time.
.
Developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) via its Reefense Program and UH alongside academic, community and industry partners the project is an example of nature-based #coastal engineering—an emerging approach that combines engineered infrastructure with natural ecosystems to protect vulnerable coastlines. The deployment is the result of four years of research and development by the Rapid Resilient Reefs for Coastal Defense (R3D) consortium. Led by the UH Applied Research Laboratory and @soest_uh , the initiative brings together researchers from five UH laboratories, partner universities and local organizations, including Makai Ocean Engineering and Kuleana Coral Restoration.".
