Environment

The Historical Importance of Hā’uke’uke Sea Urchins

Wednesday, September 6th, 2023

Community Contributed

By Marshall Weisler, Archaeologist

Few people routinely eat sea urchins today, but were they important to ancient diets? A new study reports that sea urchins were essential food centuries ago. 

Unlike the long-spined wana, hā’uke’uke or helmet urchin, with its armour-like plates covering its domed shell, is adapted to live amongst ‘opihi on the wave-pounded, windward shorelines of all the Hawaiian Islands.

Walking along the rocky north coast of west Molokai from Hinanaulua past Mo‘omomi to ‘Īlio Point, you’ll notice piles of white, sun-bleached ‘opihi shells, the remains of ancient meals accumulated over the past 500 years. Amongst the ‘opihi shells you will need to look closely to see the short, thick and flat purple spines and the small plate-like body parts of hā’uke’uke. …

Successful Mo’omomi Beach Clean-up

Wednesday, August 30th, 2023

By Maria Angst, Community Reporter 

In a collective effort to safeguard the island’s pristine coastline, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii (SCH) spearheaded a dynamic cleanup at Moʻomomi Beach on Molokai on August 12. The event saw participation from more than 30 community members, resulting in the removal of hundreds of pounds of debris from this remote shoreline. 

According to the SCH press release, the removed debris encompassed a variety of materials, such as ghost nets, microplastics, mesoplastics, oyster spacers, hagfish traps, single-use plastic products, ghost net fragments, and plastiglomerates – a combination of melted plastic and natural elements fused together. Furthermore, SCH, in collaboration with Puʻu O Hoku Ranch, embarked on an additional mission to cleanse another remote coastline near Mo’omomi as well.…