by Daniel Forsythe

1. Aquaponics: The Pinnacle of
Sustainable Agriculture

2. What is Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is a farming
technique that combines
aquaculture (growing fish
in tanks) with hydroponics
(growing plants in water).

In aquaponics water from
an artificial fish pond is
pumped into beds where
plants grow. Plants clean
the water and it's pumped
back into the fish pond,
and recirculated, saving
water.

3. How do plants grow?
Seeds are planted in small pots with
coconut husk. The coconut husk gives
them the right balance of air and
nutrient-rich water.
When they get older, they're
transplanted into new beds.
Higher density plants like strawberries
grow in gravel.
Lower density plants like lettuce grow in
pots suspended in foam boards, with
their roots dangling over the water.

4. How does it work?

Fish release ammonia in
their waste

Bacteria in the water
convert ammonia to
nitrites, and then nitrites to
nitrates

Plants need nitrites to
grow, so they filter them
out of the water

Clean water is pumped
back into fish pond

5. What Aquaponics Projects are on
Lana'i?
Kumu Ola (Roots of Life) is
an aquaponic farm that:

Aims to create food security for
Lana'i. At present, almost all food
is shipped in.

Uses no pesticides or fertilizers

Uses solar power for energy (is
completely off-grid)

Grows its own fish food

Is local

6. What does Kumu Ola do?
At Kumu Ola, new crops are
planted weekly. This makes it
possible to harvest each
week too.
Fish are constantly bred in a
separate tank so that
harvested fish can be
replaced.
These practices ensure that the
system is always in balance.

7. Why Aquaponics on Lana'i?

When foreign ungulates (hooved
animals) like axis deer, moufflon sheep,
and antelopes were introduced, they
grazed on the groundcover which had no
natural defense against them.

This caused massive erosion and
damage to beaches and reefs.
In the 1800's when Lana'i first
started being used as a farming
hub, the mountain forest was
scaled back and thinned out.

8. Why Aquaponics on Lana'i?

With deforestation, and damaged
groundcover, the land got hotter, and
that made clouds evaporate, reducing
rainfall.

This caused Lana'i to become even more
dry than it already was as a small island.

However, from 1922 to 1992, Lana'i was
used as a pineapple plantation.
Pineapples are native to South America,
not Hawaii, so after 70 years of growing
only pineapple, the soil was devoid of
nutrients plants need to grow.

9. Aquaponics to the Rescue?
Lana'i Aquaponics/Kumu Ola
Is dry Uses 90% less water than traditional
farming, because water is recirculated, not
absorbed into soil
Is infertile Creates its own nutrients by using fish
waste
Is dependent on imports Is local
Has high electricity costs Uses very little electricity/creates own
electricity via solar panel
Has damaged reefs Produces fish, easing stress on wild
populations

10. Aquaponics to the Rescue?
Lana'i Aquaponics/Kumu Ola
Is dry Uses 90% less water than traditional
farming, because water is recirculated, not
absorbed into soil
Is infertile Creates its own nutrients by using fish
waste
Is dependent on imports Is local
Has high electricity costs Uses very little electricity/creates own
electricity via solar panel
Has damaged reefs Produces fish, easing stress on wild
populations