HDOT launches UH-developed hybrid reef to protect Hawaiʻi’s coastal highways

UH News

By UH News

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. Developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) via its Reefense Program and the University of Hawaiʻi 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 first year of monitoring and maintenance of the project is funded by the State’s Green Fee program, which supports conservation and environmental initiatives that protect and restore Hawaiʻi’s natural resources.

Click here to read the full article published by UH News on September 15, 2026.