In 1975, the Mokauea Fishermen's Association (MFA) discussed the inclusion of a fishpond as part of their plans for the restoration of the Hawaiian fishing village on Mokauea Island. A 300 square feet pond already existed on Mokauea and it was agreed by the MFA that they would expand the existing pond.
John Kelly of Save our Surf assisted with the fishpond design and construction. The U.S. Army provided a landing craft unit to transport heavy equipment and the Army Reserve and the Hawaii Army National Guard provided the engineering work and labor. Pond excavation consisted of two phases, beginning in April 1979 and ending in November 1979. Between the two phases, the MFA captured sea water during a high tide, barricaded the opening and trapped the sea water. In February 1980, University of Hawaii's Marine Option Program (MOP) students began building the 'auwai (channel) and makaha (gate). On October 5, 1980, the pond was opened to the ocean for the first time in eleven months. On November 26, 1980, 181 awa were placed into the fishpond. The MOP students conducted water quality and other tests in the fishpond and hosted slide presentations and guided tours of the pond. Sherwood Maynard, Director of MOP and the Principal Investigator, oversaw and sustained the project.
The fishpond is currently overgrown with mangrove and filled with silt and debris while the 'auwai has deteriorated and the makaha is nowhere to be seen. However, on June 16, 2007, Kai Makana volunteers began the arduous task of removing the invasive mangrove and limu in the 'auwai and fishpond in an attempt to make the fishpond viable again. Kai Makana and its volunteers will continue to remove the invasive limu and mangrove in the fishpond and help students who are interested in conducting experiments and learning about the environment and sustainability.