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UAS Sitka Welcomes Floating Mariculture Lab to Support Research and Training
October 21, 2026
Lead Entities: University of Alaska Southeast
Grant Component: Workforce Development
The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) Sitka campus has welcomed a new floating mariculture laboratory, expanding opportunities for hands-on workforce training, aquaculture research, and shellfish and seaweed seed production. Supported in part by the Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC), the facility represents an important investment in the infrastructure and workforce needed to support Alaska’s growing mariculture industry.
The laboratory arrived in Sitka on September 18, following a three-day tow from Ketchikan, where it was purchased from the nonprofit OceansAlaska.
“The floating lab takes something that’s been imagined and diligently worked on for a long time and suddenly makes it real. You work on something for years, and then one morning you look out of your office window, and there it is, in the Sitka Channel, with enormous opportunities for students and mariculture workforce development.” Jeremy Rupp, UAS Sitka Campus Director
The facility has the capacity to produce up to 3 million oyster seed annually, along with seeded kelp lines and seed for other local shellfish species. This additional hatchery capacity will provide a local seed source for mariculture farmers while supporting research and education.
Beyond seed production, the floating laboratory will serve as a hands-on learning environment for students in UAS’s Applied Fisheries program. Students will gain practical experience in aquaculture operations, fisheries research, maritime skills, and diving, helping prepare the next generation of Alaska’s mariculture workforce.
UAS plans to incorporate the floating laboratory into coursework beginning in early 2027. By bringing together education, research, and commercial seed production, the facility will help strengthen connections between Alaska’s academic institutions and its developing mariculture industry.
Pictured: examining oyster gametes under a microscope on the floating mariculture lab during the 2026 Oyster Hatchery Workshop in Ketchikan, Alaska during a workshop hosted by OceansAlaska, UAS and Alaska Sea Grant.
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.
