The Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) contracted with McKinley Research Group and the Pacific Shellfish Institute to provide AMC and the broader mariculture industry with current information about topics including oyster and seaweed harvest, farm utilization, seed supply and quality, and growing techniques. This is the first of three annual reports produced as part of AMC’s Mariculture Industry Tracking project.

Related: Research Project Launched to Track Alaska Mariculture Industry Growth

Statistics about the Alaska mariculture industry are limited and often not up to date, which makes it difficult to answer seemingly basic questions such as “how much sugar kelp was planted in Prince William Sound this year?” and “are there sufficient facilities to fulfill the anticipated need for juvenile oysters in Southeast Alaska?”

Fall 2024 Report Key Findings

• Seaweed harvest likely fell in 2024, while oyster harvest rose.
• A lack of markets and poor seed quality negatively impacted the seaweed sector in 2024. Demand for frozen Alaska kelp for food products contracted in 2024, but greater access to kelp drying in 2025 may open new markets.
• While oyster markets seem to have softened nationwide in 2024, at least slightly, Alaskan oyster farmers did not have this experience with in-state sales.
• Both seaweed and oyster harvests are expected to increase in 2025.
• On average, much of the space on currently permitted oyster was used in 2024,while a small fraction of space on seaweed farms was used.

About the AMC Marketing Program

Funded through the AMC’s Market Development grant component, the Alaska Mariculture Alliance (AMA) and Southeast Conference (SEC) have launched a robust marketing program to increase awareness, demand, and long-term market opportunities for Alaska’s growing mariculture industry. The AMC Marketing Program is being advanced by Tastemaker Comms in partnership with Rising Tide Communications – two experienced firms with extensive backgrounds in seafood marketing, brand development, and campaign execution.

About the Alaska Mariculture Cluster

In September 2022, Southeast Conference was awarded a $49 million U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to stimulate private investment and grow Alaska’s mariculture industry to $100 million in sales in 10 years.  The Alaska Mariculture Cluster grant involves a large coalition of state agencies, Tribes, non-profits, and others working together over a five year period ending May 2027.