The Hawaiʻi Ledger Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026

State boards · The Environmental Notice · July 23, 2026

Printed Concrete Reef Frameworks – Draft EA (AFNSI)

Environmental review · Oʻahu · Honolulu

Tax map key, as printed
Seaward of PLATS (1) 2-6-005; (1) 2-6-004; (1) 2-6-002
Agency, as printed
State of Hawaiʻi, Board of Land and Natural Resources
Applicant, as printed
Conservation International Foundation; 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22202
Permits, as printed
Conservation District Use Permit; USACE; Land Disposition; DOH Section 401
Status, as printed
Statutory 30-day public review and comment period starts. Comments are due by August 24, 2026. Please click on title link above to read the document, then send comments to reeframe@oceanit.com.
Comments due
August 24, 2026 (passed)
Area
No tax map key: on no area page.
The state's document
The Environmental Notice, July 23, 2026 (PDF)

As the notice prints it

The REEFrame project proposes the installation of a permanent coral nursery on submerged lands off Waikīkī Beach, utilizing naturally shaped, 3D-printed concrete modules. These modules are specifically designed to mimic the structural complexity of natural reef systems, incorporating intentional elements such as holes, crevices, and ledges to provide shelter for marine herbivores, fish, and invertebrates. Each unit is equipped with attachment points for corals of opportunity, which are healthy coral fragments salvaged from storm damage or human activity. The Area of Potential Effects (APE) encompasses approximately 11.4 acres, with 150 modules occupying roughly 5,400 square feet. Modules will be fabricated on the mainland and shipped to Hawaiʻi for deployment by construction barges, with placement occurring at a minimum 100-foot buffer from the existing reef edge. Construction is anticipated to commence in late 2026 or early 2027. Following installation, the site will be monitored periodically to evaluate successful coral recruitment and colonization, while the project serves as a template for future restoration efforts throughout the state.

Basis. Read from the issue's PDF by script (pipeline/fetch_environmental_notice.py), published by the State of Hawaiʻi Office of Planning and Sustainable Development; first on the record Sept. 19, 2026. Wording is the notice's; contact names, telephone numbers and email addresses are not carried. Corrections: the corrections log.