Overview
The Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) is funding three projects that will help propel Alaska’s mariculture industry by supporting workforce development programs that provide hands-on farm training. These projects, led by Alaska Mariculture Alliance, Kodiak Ocean Growers, and OceansAlaska, will help bridge the gap between education and employment, provide opportunities for students to develop their knowledge of mariculture operations, and help trainees develop their career readiness.
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Each of these projects is playing a crucial role in growing Alaska’s mariculture workforce through education, learning, and skills development that are aligned with industry needs, are broadly accessible, and culturally responsive. They will facilitate short-term placements for students and new entrants to mariculture across different sectors of Alaska’s mariculture industry, with the goal of building workforce capacity and supporting the growth of mariculture businesses statewide.
Alaska Mariculture Alliance
Funding: $156,640
Region: All regions
AMA, in collaboration with Alaska Sea Grant, will lead a state-wide hands-on internship program with oyster and kelp farmers, hatchery operators, and seafood processors. AMA and Alaska Sea Grant will conduct a competitive selection process for host sites, ensuring geographic and sector diversity. The two organizations will also compensate participating host sites and interns, coordinate recruitment and placement, manage travel, and provide ongoing support for participants.
Additionally, AMA coordinated a hands-on oyster farmer workshop, supported by the Pacific Shellfish Institute, during the 2026 Mariculture Conference of Alaska. The workshop covered Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning basics and will be developed into publicly available educational videos that will extend the reach of the program beyond in-person participants. These videos will be shared here when complete.
Final Report (Pending)
Kodiak Ocean Growers
Funding: $100,000
Region: Southwest Alaska (Kodiak)
A cooperative of kelp farms in Kodiak, KOG is implementing a regionally focused internship program tailored to Kodiak’s conditions and workforce needs, aiming to support up to 15 trainees annually. The project will deliver training across the full farming cycle, leverage local facilities for classroom and technical instruction, and build mentorship pathways. KOG’s project includes preparatory training workshops to ensure interns have the proper safety knowledge, gear, and operational skills before beginning their internships. These workshops will be delivered in collaboration with Alaska Sea Grant, Nautical Marine, and UAF’s Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center.
Interim Report
Final Report (Pending)
OceansAlaska
Funding: $65,700
Region: Southeast
A marine science center and shellfish hatchery based in Ketchikan, OceansAlaska delivered a hands-on oyster hatchery and nursery training program, combining applied research with a workshop on March 31 – April 2, 2026. During the three-day workshop, participants received direct instruction from experienced hatchery operators and worked to document training outcomes, oyster spawning results, and seed sorting. With presentations from UAS mariculture professors, hands-on learning experiences at an active oyster farm in Ketchikan, and direct observations of broodstock processing, participants were able to learn about the entire hatchery and nursery process from active experts in the field. In addition to funding the workshop, AMC helped provide travel support for participants. Similar workshops were held in Spring 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Partners on this project include UAS Applied Fisheries’ mariculture program and Alaska Sea Grant. OceansAlaska will also host a community event in Ketchikan to share information about the hatchery workshop and OceansAlaska floating facility oyster research.
