Reef Infrastructure Installed To Protect Coastal Highways

Hawaii Department of Transportation Utilizing New Technology
by Keziah Olsen Morris, LASN

These hybrid reefs provide a structure for coral to grow on, encouraging reef development to protect coastal highways from erosion. Photo Credit: Hawaii Department of Transportation

x

These hybrid reefs provide a structure for coral to grow on, encouraging reef development to protect coastal highways from erosion. Photo Credit: Hawaii Department of Transportation

The Kalaeloa Hybrid Reef Project is the Hawaii Department of Transportation's (DOT) answer to eroding shorelines and threatened coastal infrastructure. Structures made of porous concrete are being placed at the bottom of Kalaeloa Harbor with various attached modules that will attract native corals and repel competing algae. According to Hawaii DOT, the hybrid reef will create a "living breakwater designed to reduce wave energy while improving the natural habitat." The area will also serve as a living lab for long-term monitoring.

As seen in LASN magazine, October 2026.