Search AMC News

  • Grant Components

  • Lead Entities

AMC Announces Kelp Seed Quality Improvement Research & Development Projects

April 15, 2025

Lead Entities: Chugach Regional Resources Commission, GreenWave, Kelp Ark, Prince William Sound Science Center

Grant Component: Equipment & Technology

To scale the kelp industry in Alaska, farmers need reliable access to quality kelp seed. Seed consistency can lower cost structures and improve yield estimates, which can inform business planning and build trust with buyers. Research by McKinley Research Group and the Pacific Shellfish Institute, funded by AMC and summarized in a November 2024 report, found that poor seed quality and failures at the hatchery level contributed to decreased kelp yields in 2024 and are a significant issue currently impacting the Alaska seaweed industry.

To address this issue, Southeast Conference (SEC), on behalf of the AMC, issued a request for proposals (RFP) for Kelp Seed Quality Improvement in December 2024. Through a competitive review process, four projects have been selected for funding.

The AMC Kelp Seed Quality Improvement program is an important step towards addressing kelp seed quality and consistency in Alaska and represents AMC’s commitment to adapt our program to respond to emerging industry needs. These projects represent a significant investment in Alaska’s mariculture future. By improving kelp seed quality, standardizing nursery operations, kickstarting kelp gametophyte seeding research, and developing a greater understanding of the genetic implications of different seeding methods, the AMC is laying the groundwork for a robust and sustainable industry.

Use the toggles below to learn more about the funded Kelp Seed Quality Improvement projects.

Project Title: Optimizing kelp seed production: Standardizing procedures and fostering knowledge exchange among Alaska’s nursery operators
Lead Organization: GreenWave
Funding: $214,930
Region: All Regions

Lindsay Olsen and Dave Bailey with GreenWave will lead this project, which includes hosting a hands-on workshop at the Prince William Sound Science Center with participants from all 7 active kelp nurseries in Alaska. During the workshop, GreenWave will work with nursery operators to develop standard operating procedures and implement methods to reduce contamination and increase seed quality. Additionally, they will assist nursery operators in selecting, purchasing, and installing basic infrastructure upgrades to enhance seed quality controls. Fostering a statewide community of practice will increase communication between nursery operators and collectively improve kelp seed production and workforce training. This project builds on GreenWave’s significant prior investments in hatchery technology research and years of demonstrated success operating kelp nurseries on the U.S. east coast.

Project Title: Gametophyte hatchery initiative: Expanding research for gametophyte generation and direct seeding techniques for kelp mariculture in Alaska
Lead Organization: Chugach Regional Resource Commission (CRRC)
Funding: $176,748
Region: Kenai Peninsula

Cameron Jardell at CRRC will build on CRRC’s previous projects funded through the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation Joint Innovation Program and the AMC Equipment Round I RFP to expand their research program on kelp gametophyte culture techniques. They will be utilizing newly-acquired bioreactors to efficiently grow cultures under a variety of conditions, track results, and refine gametophyte husbandry methods. Their project will also involve outplanting in the ocean to compare how growth and yield varies among three seeding methods (traditional meiospore-based seed spools, gametophyte-based seed spools, and direct seeding with gametophytes). This project will also collect genetic samples at all stages of the process and provide them to ADF&G for potential use in their kelp genetics research efforts.  AMC is excited to continue to support CRRC as they lead the way in developing gametophyte-based seeding methods for Alaska.

Project Title: Genetic diversity and seed quality of bull kelp cultivated from gametophytes and conventional methods
Lead Organization: Prince William Sound Science Center
Funding: $198,978
Region: Prince William Sound

Dr. Angie Korabik, post-doctoral fellow at the Prince William Sound Science Center, will lead this comprehensive study on the genetic diversity of cultivated bull kelp. With field sites in Kodiak and Cordova, they will compare genetic diversity of kelp seeded from conventional spore inoculation and controlled and uncontrolled gametophyte culture. They will also compare how seeding method affects seed quality and spool coverage. This project will test the prediction that seeding with gametophyte cultures of controlled parental contribution will lead to greater genetic diversity when compared to seeding with gametophyte cultures of uncontrolled parental contribution and seeding with conventional spore inoculation. It will also test whether gametophyte seeding can improve seed quality and spool coverage when compared to conventional spore inoculation. Ultimately, this project will provide critical data to inform how the Alaska permitting process may adapt in the future to accommodate gametophyte-based seeding methods while preserving genetic diversity and protecting wild kelp beds.  Genetic analyses under this project will be led by Dr. Felipe Alberto’s well-established kelp genetics lab at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Project Title: Population genetics and gametophyte seed banking of Alaska kelps
Lead Organization: Kelp Ark
Funding: $199,393
Region: All Regions

Michael Marty-Rivera and Dr. Sergey Nuzhdin of Kelp Arc will collaborate with Dr. Michael Stekoll at UAF’s Lena Point facility in Juneau, AK to develop a gametophyte bank for Alaska kelps. Kelp Ark will start single cell origin gametophyte cultures for sugar, ribbon, and bull kelp, which will be housed in a collection at the UAF Lena Point facility and replicated at Kelp Ark’s facility in San Pedro, CA. They will then sequence the gametophyte cultures to gain insight into Alaska kelp population structure. This molecular work has the potential to inform Alaska’s kelp farm permitting process. Additionally, the established seed banks will be in the public domain, and therefore will further future scientific research on mariculture, conservation, kelp life history, and kelp genetics. This work builds upon and is supported by Kelp Ark’s ongoing work building a kelp genetics seed bank and research sterile seed with funding from a variety of public and private sources.

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.