HONOLULU (AP) - Workers at Maunalua Bay have cleared more than 1 million pounds of invasive algae over the past four months.
The algae smothers and suffocates the coral reef.
Federal stimulus funds are paying for the yearlong project designed to both help the environment and create jobs.
Organizers expect to remove 3 million pounds of algae, or 22 acres, from the East Oahu bay by the time the project is finished.
The Nature Conservancy said Thursday that the algae is being turned into compost by local farmers and other green waste facilities.
The project is managed by The Nature Conservancy together with Malama Maunalua.
