After a heavy rainstorm in December, the water at the foot of a concrete-lined stream emptying into Maunalua Bay turned an ugly chocolate color. Over several hours, an estimated 20 tons of sediment and other pollutants washed into the East Honolulu bay, and the brownish-red plume extended seaward about the length of two football fields.

Hawaii Superferry filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday, telling a Delaware court that a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling caused the Alakai to cease operations in March and has sapped the company's revenues.

The ancient Hawaiians had it right. They knew that what happened on land affected the sea — one of the underlying principles of their land division system.