HI HR72

Hawaii House Resolution encourages the U.S. Navy to take responsibility for eradicating octocoral (Unomia stolonifera and Capnella spicata) and other invasive species from Pearl Harbor waters, including West Loch, Middle Loch, and East Loch.

Octocoral is a "soft coral" that spreads rapidly without forming a calcium exoskeleton, smothering native Hawaiian coral reef ecosystems and reducing fish density and diversity in affected areas.

The U.S. Navy first reported octocoral presence near Pearl Harbor in late 2020, though recent surveys indicate the species was likely present before 2019 and has since spread to a much larger area.

The resolution urges the Navy to allocate resources for invasive species eradication and for cleaning, maintaining, and securing the Pearl Harbor shoreline.

A certified copy of the resolution is to be transmitted to the U.S. Secretary of the Navy.