HONOLULU -

It's a battle for survival on the beach in Waikiki.

The delicate ecosystem there is being destroyed by invasive algae. Which is why Monday's cleanup was more than just a good deed. It's a critical effort to save a dying species.

It was being brought in my net, by board and by the bag fulls. It's called Graciaria Salicornia, better known as gorilla ogo.

"You can find it in some of your poke nowadays, but it's not as good," said Sarah Vasconcellos, a University of Hawaii botony graduate student who organized the cleanup at Waikiki Beach.

The good stuff is the prized limu kala and limu kohu, that was abundant in Waikiki 40 years ago.

More: http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/Volunteers-remove-invasive-algae-killing-Waikiki-s-reef/-/8905354/9713734/-/y3xyo4/-/index.html