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AMC Monthly Update: September 2026
October 2, 2026
Lead Entities: Southeast Conference
Grant Component: Grant Administration
September 2026 brought continued progress across the Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC), with new workforce training opportunities, business development resources, expanded industry outreach, and efforts to connect Alaska’s growing kelp industry with new markets. From hands-on apprenticeships and a new oyster farming manual to national agricultural market engagement and media outreach in Kodiak, AMC partners continue to strengthen the foundation for a sustainable mariculture industry in Alaska. Use the links below to jump ahead.
With support from AMC’s Workforce Development program, the Alaska Mariculture Alliance, Alaska Sea Grant, and Pacific Shellfish Institute collaborated to offer a free marine safety workshop for shellfish and seaweed farmers in Ketchikan on September 25.
The one-day course focused on vessel safety equipment, mariculture-specific hazards, and safe operating practices for farmers and their crews. Participants were eligible to receive Alaska Water Wise certification upon completion, and travel stipends of up to $750 were offered to help make the training accessible to farmers across the region.
Alaska Sea Grant’s AMC-funded Mariculture Summer Apprenticeship program is helping develop the next generation of Alaska’s mariculture workforce by connecting aspiring farmers with established oyster and kelp businesses for hands-on experience.
The 2026 program attracted more than 30 apprentice applicants and 15 prospective host businesses, filling nine apprenticeship positions at farms near Cordova, Homer, Prince of Wales Island, and Juneau. Over four- to ten-week placements, apprentices gained practical experience while helping farms meet their growing need for skilled workers.
The program also created meaningful connections between participants and Alaska’s farming community, including apprentice Roxy Reynolds, who spent the summer working at Moss Island Oyster Farm in Kachemak Bay—a farm previously owned by her grandparents.
Alaska Sea Grant has released a comprehensive new edition of the Alaska Oyster Growers Manual, supported by AMC’s Workforce Development program.
The 158-page illustrated publication updates a resource that has supported Alaska oyster farmers since the early 1980s. It provides practical guidance on all stages of oyster cultivation, from site selection and farm operations to post-harvest processing, business planning, and regulatory considerations.
Designed for both new and experienced growers, the manual is available as a free PDF, with printed copies also offered free for a limited time. This resource will help farmers access the technical knowledge needed to start, manage, and improve their operations.
Spruce Root, an AMC Revolving Loan Fund subaward recipient, announced a five-part virtual Business Basics for Mariculture workshop series to help current and prospective oyster and kelp farmers strengthen their business planning and financial management skills.
Presented by Quentin Fong of Alaska Sea Grant, with additional guest instructors, the November workshops will cover business planning, financial statements, break-even analysis, marketing strategies, accounting, and financial planning tools tailored to mariculture operations. The series is open to Alaska residents at any stage of business development. Registration is $25, with fee waivers available, and closes October 30.
In September, AMC published a detailed recap of the August 2026 Fertilizer Institute (TFI) Agronomy Conference & Expo in Indianapolis, where three Alaska representatives explored emerging market opportunities for kelp-based agricultural biostimulants.
Jason Lessard of the Alaska Mariculture Alliance, Nick Stern of Pacific Kelp Company, and Briana Murphy of Chugach Regional Resources Commission connected with agronomists, farmers, distributors, and agricultural industry leaders to better understand market demand and commercialization pathways for Alaska kelp products.
The conference offered valuable insight into the growing biostimulant market, including opportunities to supply kelp ingredients to existing manufacturers, develop distribution partnerships, and target agricultural applications where kelp-based products can demonstrate measurable benefits. Nick Stern reported conversations with 10 potential distribution opportunities, underscoring the value of connecting Alaska’s emerging products with established agricultural markets.
Pacific Kelp Company and Chugach Regional Resources Commission are both advancing AMC-funded kelp agricultural product development projects, making these industry connections particularly timely as research and testing move toward commercialization.
The AMC Marketing Program continued its efforts to raise national awareness of Alaska mariculture with an exclusive familiarization (FAM) trip to Kodiak for Forbes journalist Esha Chhabra, who covers climate solutions, business, and sustainability.
Coordinated with the Kodiak Ocean Growers Cooperative, the late-August trip provided firsthand exposure to Kodiak’s growing kelp industry, including farm visits, conversations with local growers, and tours of research and processing facilities.
Highlights included a visit to the Kodiak Seafood & Marine Science Center’s kelp nursery and a tour of Kodiak Island WildSource, the Sun’aq Tribe-owned seafood processing facility preparing an expansion to house the AMC-supported Kelp Primary Processing Platform (KP3). The visit also introduced Chhabra to several Kodiak kelp farmers and the collaborative efforts underway to grow the region’s mariculture economy.
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