Karen Gleason said she never thought an eastern part of Maunalua Bay would be free of the acres of an alien alga that choked out a reef and a once-flourishing population of fish and crabs.

But a $3.4 million removal project, funded with federal stimulus money and driven by community volunteers and school students, has virtually eliminated the alga known as mudweed from some 26 acres, giving an opportunity for native sea life to return to the East Oahu area.

"It’s really, really exciting to see the bay have a chance to come back," said Gleason, 68, who has lived in Kuliouou all her life. "Kids can swim there. There’s a huge difference just walking down the beach. … The water is cleaner."

Nonprofit groups Nature Conservancy of Hawaii and Malama Maunalua collaborated on the project, called the "Great Huki (Pull)," removing some 2.9 million pounds of alien algae.

All of the algae was hauled to nearby local farms to be used as compost, the groups said.

"We think it’s been a great success," said Jennifer Taylor, board president of Malama Maunalua. "All early indications are the cleared areas are staying clear. … You’re seeing sandy bottom where once you saw green, slimy mudweed."

Taylor said about 3,000 volunteers helped to remove the mudweed and that her group continues to coordinate community volunteer efforts.

Conservancy spokeswoman Evelyn Wight said scientists determined that the algae was trapping sediment in the bay.

She said now that the mudweed is gone, the sediment is moving out of the bay, exposing the natural sandy bottom.

"In that sand we have seen some native invertebrates returning, such as tiny snails, crabs and worms that fish eat," Wight said.

A major portion of the removal was done by the Pono Pacific Land Management LLC, the company that hired some 50 full- and part-time employees to pull out and transport the algae to the farms.

The 18-month project was completed in April, with a final report to be sent by June to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration.

NOAA spokeswoman Wende Goo said the project can be a model for similar community efforts.

"There was no specialized equipment used in this project, just dedication of project staff, volunteers and the community," Goo said. "There is a good chance that this model can be used to remove invasive alien algae in other areas and return those areas into productive parts of the ecosystem."

Residents recall that large migratory schools of mullet moved from one fishpond to the next along Maunalua Bay in the 1960s, before major urban development.

The alga Avrainvillea amadelpha, or "leather mudweed," is found in Mauritius, Tuamotus, Fiji and the Philippines. It was first reported in Maunalua Bay in 1981.

Some state officials suspect a contributing factor in the growth of algae was the diversion of a million gallons of fresh spring water daily in the early 1990s from an area near Kupapa Fishpond, makai of Niu Valley.

Gleason said improper drainage has also allowed soil and rocks to be carried from streams into the bay, contributing to the degradation of the reef.

She said she hopes government officials will consider installing de-silting basins to reduce siltation on reefs.

"We’re hopeful," she said.