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AFDF Announces Second Cohort for Joint Innovations Projects (JIP)

July 25, 2024

Lead Entities: Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation

Grant Component: Research & Development

With funding from the Alaska Mariculture Cluster, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) has announced a second cohort of applied research and development projects for the Joint Innovations Project (JIP) program. These joint projects form strategic private sector partnerships and are designed to accelerate innovation, address barriers to growth, and stand up Alaska’s emerging mariculture industry.

The second cohort, totaling $1.34 million in funding, is comprised of hatcheries, nurseries, aquatic farmers, and processors. Each of their projects will fall under one of the following categories:

  • Innovations in seaweed farming
  • Innovations in processing (oysters or seaweed)
  • Innovations in mooring system technology, design and/or deployment
  • Boosting oyster growth at nurseries or farms
  • Shellfish enhancement
  • De-risking farming through site suitability analysis and/or monitoring

The funded projects and lead entities are:

  • Seaweed Direct Seeding Research by CRRC’s APMI
  • Bull Kelp Farming Experimentation by Seaquester Farms
  • Bull Kelp Hatchery Research by UAF
  • Research into Extracting High-value Compounds from Three Kelp Species by Marine Biologics and Alaska Ocean Farms
  • Kelp Stabilization and Shipping Trials by Atlantic Sea Farms
  • Mobile Seaweed Processing experimentation by Mothers of Millions
  • Research into Processing Methods to Reduce Metals by Four Corner Foods and Wildsource
  • Kelp Solar Drying and Poultry Feed Trails by Premium Aquatics and WWF
  • Kelp Product Development at Saltwater Inc.
  • Containerized Seaweed Drying Pilot Project by Sequester Farms
  • Seaweed Farm Collaborative Monitoring Initiative by Kelp Blue
  • Lower Cost PSP Monitoring Pilot Project by Ostrea Marine
  • Shellfish Enhancement and Predator Control Research by Organized Village of Kake
  • Oyster Seed Development Optimized for Alaska by Pacific Hybrid

The selected JIP proposals will be funded for a timeline of up to 18-month projects. Start dates must be between August 1st and October 31st, 2024. Proposals may only request funding up to $100,000.

First Round in Progress

The first cohort of 15 projects began work in August 2023. Findings and dates will be compiled into reports and distributed to the public, ensuring insights are available to current or future industry participants, as well as the public.

About AFDF

Since 1978, the AFDF has broadly represented the Alaska seafood industry (harvesters, processors, and support service businesses) in the areas of research and development. Since 2014, AFDF has spearheaded the Alaska Mariculture Initiative, an effort to expedite the development of growing shellfish and seaweed in Alaska.

AFDF is a part of the AMC coalition and one of the subaward recipients. As part of its subaward, AFDF oversees a portion of the Research and Development component, and in particular, the Joint Innovation Projects.

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.