Alaska’s mariculture industry is continuing to grow, even though it is in its infancy compared to that in other states.
Alaska’s shellfish farms reported just under $1.5 million in sales of oysters and mussels in 2024 and $48,713 in aquatic plant sales, according to figures collected by Emily Gettis, with the state Department of Natural Resources.
In comparison, Washington state in 2022 sold $166.4 million worth of farmed mollusks, according to the McKinley Research Group. Washington is the top U.S. state in production of farmed shellfish; Alaska is not even in the top 10 on that list, according to McKinley.
Also dwarfing Alaska’s output is Maine’s booming seaweed-harvesting industry, which generated $1.6 million in sales in 2020, according to reports from that state. Maine supplies about 60% of the edible seaweed that is farmed in the United States, according to industry reports.
Still, Alaska’s industry is expanding, thanks to research, strategic investment and a desire to bolster coastal communities’ economies.
Michelle Morris, permit coordinator for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, described some of that growth in a presentation at the annual Mariculture Conference of Alaska, organized by the Alaska Sea Grant program and held March 9-12 in Anchorage.
The number of aquatic farm applications received by the department over the past 10 years is about triple that received over the previous 10-year period, rising to more than 150 from the 46 received between 2006 and 2015. “So that’s pretty crazy,” she said.
There are potentially more sites that could spur permit applications.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has published a new atlas identifying 77 areas in the Gulf of Alaska that are suitable for shellfish or seaweed farming. NOAA researchers analyzed over 4 million acres across those 10 study areas and identified 77 locations totaling 13,000 acres, said Alicia Bishop of NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska regional office.
The atlas is part of a wider multiyear program to establish sites formally designated as Aquaculture Opportunity Areas, Bishop said.
“The whole goal of this planning process is to find locations that may be environmentally, socially and economically suitable for aquaculture,” she said.
There are also environmental considerations: effects on mariculture and effects created by mariculture, both positive and negative.
Higher water temperatures, a problem increasing with climate change, are tied to increased risks of harmful algal blooms and parasites that can cause shellfish eaters to become ill. Fending off those risks requires regular monitoring of water temperatures and diligence about keeping farmed oysters chilled.
Shellfish farms can also attract otters and other wild marine mammals seeking easy meals, though there are ways to fend off such raids, experts said at the conference.
Ocean acidification, the result of atmospheric carbon dioxide being absorbed in the water, inhibits shellfish growth and can affect all sectors of the seafood industry.
At the same time, shellfish and kelp farms can, if properly managed, enhance marine ecosystems in localized areas and help native species there develop resilience to environmental changes, said Esther Kennedy of the University of Alaska Southeast.
Activities like kelp farming, however, cannot be seen as panaceas to environmental degradation, Kennedy cautioned. “Kelp is great, but it’s not going to fix the water chemistry problem,” she said.
The Native Conservancy, through partnerships with other organizations, is conducting research and providing technical assistance to support community-based mariculture.
Alaska’s mariculture industry has benefited from big infusions of grant money, including $49 million awarded by the Biden administration in 2022. The funds are being administered by an organization called the Alaska Mariculture Cluster, a coalition led by Southeast Conference, an economic development organization in Southeast Alaska.
The Alaska Mariculture Cluster is engaged in projects spanning several years, and it shares a goal with state officials of creating an industry in Alaska worth $100 million a year.
For seaweed, potential markets go beyond people who eat kelp and kelp-containing food like seasoning. Alaska companies are exploring opportunities in fertilizer, cosmetics and health products.
The Alaska Beacon is an independent, donor-funded news organization. Alaskabeacon.com.
