According to Jones, Pearl Harbor, a site that boasts some of the oldest mangroves on O'ahu, may very well be an ideal area for her to observe whether the mangroves are prime sites for introduced, hardier species rather than native organisms. She says the ballast water pumped from the ships entering Pearl Harbor might have introduced new species to the area, and the mangroves could possibly provide a habitat for them. Despite the mangrove's possible negative impact on Hawaiian fishponds, the plants were praised by fishermen who Jones encountered while collecting sediment samples along the coast. They expressed hopeful wishes that she was not there to destroy the protective plants. Such a protective response is not uncommon considering the protection the mangroves provide, and Jones says she understands their concerns.
Mangroves provide a habitat . . .
Considered a source of charcoal or tannins for leather preparation in other areas around the world, mangroves are not commercially harvested and utilized for anything in Hawai'i. Not only embedding itself in traditional Hawaiian lei making, the mangrove's seeds have been wedging themselves into fishponds throughout the islands. Because of their narrow frame, the seeds are able to fit between the large rocks and boulders of the fishpond walls. They easily develop a root system that inhibits the flow of sea water through the wall and begins to shift the rocks' placement. A few select communities would like to see the mangroves in and around their local fishponds left alone.