overview

In Alaska, mariculture means farming marine shellfish and seaweeds. The State of Alaska and numerous stakeholders share the goal of growing this industry in Alaska for healthier economic resilience and food security. As our fisheries change, mariculture provides an opportunity for us to use fishing industry infrastructure to target other markets.

For shellfish, people are working across the state to develop oyster broodstock that will grow faster in Alaskan waters and ways to efficiently culture other species for food.

For seaweed, there is a huge effort to identify best practices for growing and processing seaweed and developing food and non-food grade products like fertilizer, cattle feed, biodiesel, and hygiene products. There is also interest in growing seaweed to mitigate the effects of climate change as seaweed can sequester carbon quickly and remove it from the atmosphere.

In PWS, several oyster and seaweed farmers operate annually. They face numerous challenges, including limited hatchery and processing options. The PWSSC is working closely with farmers and stakeholders across the state to remove these bottlenecks to industry growth.

Projects

The PWSSC has received funding for multiple projects that facilitate the growth of the mariculture industry in Prince William Sound by: