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AMC Monthly Update: March 2026
March 31, 2026
Lead Entities: Southeast Conference
Grant Component: Grant Administration
As 2026 begins, the Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) continues its work to strengthen the mariculture industry in Alaska. Each of the grant’s component projects is progressing steadily, and the coalition is working to catalyze the industry for the long-term benefit of Alaska’s economy, environment, and communities. As the grant enters its final year, stay up to date on programs and projects by clicking below to read more.
Component #1: Revolving Loan Fund
The RLF addresses lending barriers within the mariculture industry by offering collateral support to lending institutions for borrowers who do not qualify for traditional loans. Mariculture businesses are able to apply for loans with Northrim Bank and Spruce Root.
SEC’s Mariculture Business Planning Tools RFP closed in early March 2026. The awarded contractors will be announced in early April 2026. This project will help provide business planning and technical assistance services to Alaska seaweed and shellfish farmers and processors. The purpose of this work is to improve participating businesses’ understanding of their financial operations and to strengthen their ability to access capital for business growth and investment.
The Mariculture Business Planning Tool Program will complement existing business planning and technical assistance resources offered by Spruce Root and Alaska Sea Grant.
Component #2: Governance, Coordination, & Outreach
After the Mariculture Conference of Alaska, the AMA hosted a post-conference “Mariculture Nerd Nite: Talks, Tastings, & Painted Shells” at 49th State Brewery, to unite farmers, researchers, and seafood enthusiasts for an evening of snack-sized talks and sea-grown stories from the world of mariculture. Speakers had five minutes to share something they’re passionate about, whether that’s oysters, kelp, sustainable aquaculture, or the future of Alaska’s coastal economy. The evening was full of art, learning, and connection.
SEC continues to work closely with the AMA, attending board meetings and participating in two biweekly meeting series: one with AMA staff, regional Mariculture Liaisons, and the EDDs (KPEDD, PWSEDD, and SWAMC); one with just AMA and the regional Mariculture Liaisons. SEC has assisted AMA with forecasting and budgeting its remaining AMC subaward funds.
KPEDD, PWSEDD, SEC, and SWAMC continue to work with industry partners, stakeholders, and AMA Liaisons to facilitate communication, events, and project development. All other EDDs are working closely with their regions’ mariculture organizations and liaisons, including planning community mariculture events for Summer and Fall 2026. These events will be supported by AMA, SEC, and the AMC Marketing Program, and will be announced as finalized.
Component #3: Workforce Development
The AMC’s Workforce Development program is primarily led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Alaska Sea Grant, University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) Sitka, and the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Prince William Sound College. All three institutions have trainings, workshops, and college courses offered in their region and UAF / Alaska Sea Grant has statewide coverage. SEC is finalizing budget revisions with its university partners.
Alaska Sea Grant and AMC issued a Farmer Knowledge Exchange RFP to assist Alaskan mariculturists in taking advantage of the most up to date technology and husbandry practices. Alaska Sea Grant is accepting applications from farmers for travel funding to visit mariculture operations elsewhere. This funding is available for travel within the state of Alaska and nationally. Along with bringing information to the state of Alaska, this program seeks to build awareness of the Alaskan mariculture brand by encouraging reciprocal knowledge exchange from Alaskan industry members to other regions.
Component #4: Research & Development
The fifth annual 2026 Mariculture Conference of Alaska took place in Anchorage March 10-12 and was a success! Throughout the conference, various speaker events, workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities provided attendees with the chance to strengthen industry ties, learn more about the work of their peers, and envision a strong future for seaweed and shellfish farming in Alaska. A wide range of AMC projects were shared throughout the conference, including projects falling under R&D programs like the Kelp Agricultural Product Development & Testing Program, Seaweed Tissue Analysis Program, and Carbon Sequestration Program.
The conference featured nine different speaker sessions and four different workshops, in addition to a trade show, an oyster showcase, poster sessions, and a reception. The event provided a backdrop for important connections, research presentations, partner interactions and meetings, and larger industry development.
Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) announced the third round of funding for the Joint Innovation Projects (JIP) Program, which was focused specifically on product development. A total of nine projects were selected for funding, with individual awards ranging from $21,798 to $50,000. Each project contributes to the JIP Program’s goals of forming strategic private sector partnerships, accelerating innovation, addressing barriers to growth, and strengthening Alaska’s emerging mariculture industry. Learn more about the third round projects by visiting the JIP Program webpage, reading the announcement (featured below), or referencing the AMC Airtable Database.
Component #5: Market Development
The AMC Marketing Program, which is collaboratively managed by AMA and SEC, continues to make impactful progress towards implementing valuable marketing material for Alaska’s mariculture industry. The Marketing Program is marketing its new logo and brand system, which is beginning to be utilized across AMC marketing efforts, from websites and trade shows to PR, marketing materials, and more. Since being released last month, products showcasing Alaska Mariculture logos have appeared at various industry events in the form of sweatshirts, stickers, pens, and more.
In mid-March, AMA and AMC Marketing Program representatives traveled to Boston for Seafood Expo North America (SENA), to showcase Alaskan seafood products, make connections with other seafood industry professionals, and hone marketing strategies for Alaska mariculture innovations.
The Marketing Program organized a “Shuck & Tell” industry event that brought oyster farmers together with local chefs, restaurateurs, and tourism partners to connect over Alaskan-grown oysters. During the event, farmers from 5 oyster farms shared their oysters with more than 50 guests, who also got to meet and hear stories from the farmers themselves. Guests sampled raw oysters from each farm while hearing directly from the growers about their operations, growing regions, and unique merroir and flavors.
Component #6: Green Energy
Last fall, the AMC’s Green Energy in Mariculture (GEM) Project released a report analyzing how Alaska’s mariculture industry uses energy and how it can transition toward cleaner, more efficient power sources. The study lays the groundwork for a more energy-efficient mariculture sector that minimizes reliance on fossil fuels. This report continues to offer insights and is a crucial resource for efforts to transition the mariculture industry towards clean energy.
Key findings include: Average farm size: 45,000 pounds harvested annually with five workers per site. Travel patterns: Farmers visit their sites 113 times per year on average, typically traveling six nautical miles by boat at 21 knots. Fuel consumption: 75% of respondents use gasoline (848 gallons per year on average) and 25% use diesel (1,043 gallons). Power sources: 60% rely on generators at their remote site, 55% use energy from their vessels, and 10% connect to local electric grids. Processing facilities: Average 1,560 square feet in size, powered primarily by local hydropower, and operating in five communities.
Component #7: Equipment & Technology
The Mariculture Equipment Program announced its third and final round of funding. This third round will bring the total Mariculture Equipment Program investment to $8.02 million for 17 different entities, each of which will support the growth and development of the industry throughout multiple regions and communities in Alaska.
Six organizations (over seven separate awards) have been awarded equipment funding in this round, totaling $3.02 million. The awarded organizations range from Ketchikan to Cordova, with four organizations having received funding in the past and two new funded entities.
SEC also continues to work on finalizing funding for previous rounds of equipment awards and has been working with existing subaward recipients to finalize purchasing documents, receive EDA approval, and process invoices for reimbursement. SEC continues to update the AMC website with published materials, including final reports, interim project updates, and new data for a variety of AMC-funded programs.
Component #8: Grant Management
SEC is working with the awarded Succession Planning contractor to finalize a contract, timeline, and budget for the succession planning process, which will help identify areas of need within Alaska’s mariculture industry and create preliminary strategies to address these financial, programmatic, or structural gaps post-grant period.
Earlier this month, AMC’s Grant Evaluation contractor, Ecotrust, released a 75-page evaluation report summarizing AMC’s impact and results from 2023 through 2025. The evaluation continues to review and assess AMC-funded grant work and impacts while also providing feedback to support any necessary adjustments in AMC’s approach during the final year of the grant. Ecotrust also created a poster, which was shared at the 2026 Mariculture Conference of Alaska, as well as a shorter executive summary.
Background
Southeast Conference (SEC) is the federally designated Economic Development District (EDD) for Southeast Alaska, as well as the state designated Alaska Regional Development Organization. SEC’s mission is to undertake and support activities that promote strong economies, sustainable communities, and a healthy environment in Southeast Alaska.
In September 2022, Southeast Conference was awarded a $49 million U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) grant to catalyze a viable and sustainable mariculture industry in Alaska, supporting the production of shellfish and seaweed, for the long-term benefit of the state’s economy, environment, and communities.
SEC leads the Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) grant coalition, which includes members of Alaska’s mariculture industry, tribal organizations, regulatory agencies, university system, regional EDDs, trade organizations, and others. A Governance Body, composed of AMC coalition leaders and Tribal executives from each of the project regions, guides the grant’s work and equity metrics.
The AMC has complementary grant components designed to break down barriers and develop Alaska’s mariculture industry. The Overarching Narrative explains how the grant components work together to grow the industry in an equitable and responsible manner. The full project period for the AMC BBBRC project is October 1, 2022 to September 30th, 2026.
