Overview

The Joint Innovation Projects (JIP) program is a collection of 29 unique applied research and development projects designed to form strategic private sector partnerships, accelerate innovation, address barriers to growth, and stand up Alaska’s emerging mariculture industry. The JIP program is part of the AMC’s Research & Development grant component and administered by the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF), a subaward recipient.

There are two cohorts of projects. The first JIP cohort was announced in August 2023, and the second JIP cohort was announced in July 2024. Projects were awarded funding through competitive requests for proposals (view JIP RFP #1 here and JIP RFP #2 here). Proposals could only request funding up to $100,000, and each project is funded for a timeline of up to 18-months.

Project findings are to be compiled into reports and distributed to the public, ensuring insights are available to current and future industry participants. This webpage, which compiles information from AFDF’s previous JIP reports and meet-ups, will be updated when the first cohort submits Final Reports (Spring 2025), and again when the second cohort submits Interim and Final Reports (TBA).

Please use the Table of Contents below to browse all 29 Joint Innovation Projects.
Select a category, then click the project numbers to jump ahead.

Table of Contents

  • Project #1: Evaluating Infrastructure and Seeding Methods for Scalable Bull Kelp Cultivation by Sea Quester Farms
  • Project #2: Assessing Optimal Infrastructure and Seeding Approaches for Large-Scale Cultivation of Bull Kelp by Sea Quester Farms
  • Project #3: Bull Kelp Buoyancy Assessment by Native Village of Eyak
  • Project #4: Building capacity for gametophyte generation and direct seeding techniques for the commercial kelp species Saccharina latissima (Sugar kelp) in Alaska by Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute
  • Project #5: From Hatchery to Harvest: Examining the effects of different hatchery environments throughout the bull kelp lifecycle by Dr. Michael Stekoll at University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Project #6: Novel Compound Discovery in Newly Domesticated Alaskan Kelp, by Alaska Ocean Farms & Marine Biologics
  • Project #7: Testing Four Approaches to Small-Scale Primary Seaweed Stabilization & Matching Methods to Markets by Saltwater Inc. & ReGeneration North
  • Project #8: Pilot scale forced-air drying and milling of farmed kelp – Gateway to mid to large scale drying, qualitative assessment, and development of dried kelp products by Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute (KALI)
  • Project #9: Kelp Stabilization for Rural Communities: Designing for Decentralized Processing by Greenwave
  • Project #10: Evaluate Marketability and Production Protocols for Kelp Based Wine and Spirits by Float Camp
  • Project #11: Evaluating and Sharing Methods to Efficiently Dry Kelp for Rural Communities by Barnacle Foods
  • Project #12: Primary Stabilization of Seaweed Through Drying Technique by Blue Evolution
  • Project #13: Building a product bridge: Cost-effective primary stabilization for transportation of Alaska kelp to market by Atlantic Sea Farms
  • Project #14: Building a shipping route: Cost-reducing methods to transport stabilized kelp from Alaska to market by Atlantic Sea Farms
  • Project #15: Mobile Seaweed Processing by Mothers of Millions
  • Project #16: Reducing Impact of Heavy Metals in Seaweed to Address Barriers of Growth by Four Corner Foods &  Wildsource
  • Project #17: Solar Drying of Alaskan Seaweed and Use as a Sustainably Sourced Layer Hen Feed Ingredient by Premium Aquatics, Word Wildlife Fund, & Wilcox Farms
  • Project #18: Expanding Markets through Differentiation: New Species and Product Lines by Saltwater Inc.
  • Project #19: Simulation and Development of a Kelp Drying Prototype Using Existing Equipment by Sea Quester Farms
  • Project #20: Helical Anchor Performance Analysis by Holdfast Robotics & Premium Aquatics
  • Project #21: Sea Otter Sound Mariculture Data Initiative: Collaborative Monitoring and Innovation in Southeast Alaska’s Mariculture Industry by Kelp Blue & Craig Tribal Assocation
  • Project #22: Early Warning of Harmful Algal Blooms and Biofouling Larvae Using the PlanktoScope, A Low-Cost Automated Plankton Imaging and Analysis Tool by Ostrea Marine
  • Project #23: Developing improved seed of the Pacific oyster for the Southeast Alaska regions by Pacific Hybreed
  • Project #24: Developing Hybrid Oyster Seeds for Alaska Shellfish Growers by Pacific Hybreed
  • Project #25: Optimizing the tumble culture method to improve Pacific Oyster quality, and reduce labor for shellfish farms in Southeast Alaska by Ostrea Marine
  • Project #26: Design and comprehensive planning of an Alaskan optimized intermodal freight container based shellfish setting and pre-nursery seed boosting system by OceansAlaska
  • Project #27: Hatchery Cultivation of the pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula) by Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute
  • Project #28: Evaluating subsistence shellfish beaches for future enhancement projects by Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute
  • Project #29: Developing increased survival techniques for shellfish enhancement of two species (Clinocardium nuttallii and Mya arenaria) through implementing predator protection in Southeast Alaska by Organized Village of Kake

Innovations in Seaweed Farming

Project #1:
Evaluating Infrastructure and Seeding Methods for Scalable Bull Kelp Cultivation

Lead Entity: Sea Quester Farms
Location: Juneau, AK
Start Date: September 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #2:
Assessing Optimal Infrastructure and Seeding Approaches for Large-Scale Cultivation of Bull Kelp

Lead Entity: Sea Quester Farms
Location: Juneau, AK
Start Date: August 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #3:
Bull Kelp Buoyancy Assessment

Lead Entity: Native Village of Eyak
Location: Cordova, AK
Start Date: October 2024
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #4:
Building capacity for gametophyte generation and direct seeding techniques for the commercial kelp species Saccharina latissima (Sugar kelp) in Alaska

Lead Entity: Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute
Location: Seward, AK
Start Date: October 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #5:
From Hatchery to Harvest: Examining the effects of different hatchery environments throughout the bull kelp lifecycle

Lead Entity: Dr. Michael Stekoll at University of Alaska Fairbanks
Location: Juneau, AK
Start Date: August 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #6:
Novel Compound Discovery in Newly Domesticated Alaskan Kelp

Lead Entities: Alaska Ocean Farms, Marine Biologics
Location: Kodiak, AK
Start Date: August 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Innovations in Processing

Project #7:
Testing Four Approaches to Small-Scale Primary Seaweed Stabilization & Matching Methods to Markets

Lead Entity: Saltwater Inc, Regeneration North
Location: Homer
Start Date: August 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #8:
Pilot scale forced-air drying and milling of farmed kelp – Gateway to mid to large scale drying, qualitative assessment, and development of dried kelp products

Lead Entity: Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute (KALI)
Location: Kodiak
Start Date: December 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #9:
Kelp Stabilization for Rural Communities: Designing for Decentralized Processing

Lead Entity: Greenwave
Location: Kodiak, AK
Start Date: August 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #10:
Evaluate Marketability and Production Protocols for Kelp Based Wine and Spirits

Lead Entity: Float Camp
Location: Ketchikan
Start Date: August 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #11:
Evaluating and Sharing Methods to Efficiently Dry Kelp for Rural Communities

Lead Entity: Barnacle Foods
Location: Juneau
Start Date: August 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #12: Primary Stabilization of Seaweed Through Drying Technique

Lead Entity: Blue Evolution
Location: Kodiak, AK
Start Date: April 2024
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #13:
Building a product bridge: Cost-effective primary stabilization for transportation of Alaska kelp to market

Lead Entity: Atlantic Sea Farms
Location: Kodiak, AK
Start Date: September 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #14:
Building a shipping route: Cost-reducing methods to transport stabilized kelp from Alaska to market

Lead Entity: Atlantic Sea Farms
Location: Kodiak, AK
Start Date: September 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #15:
Mobile Seaweed Processing

Lead Entity: Mothers of Millions
Location: Prince William Sound, AK
Start Date: August 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #16:
Reducing Impact of Heavy Metals in Seaweed to address Barriers of Growth

Lead Entities: Four Corner Foods, Wildsource
Location: Kodiak, AK
Start Date: August 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #17:
Solar Drying of Alaskan Seaweed and Use as a Sustainably Sourced Layer Hen Feed Ingredient

Lead Entities: Premium Aquatics, Word Wildlife Fund, Wilcox Farms
Location: Prince of Wales Island & University of Arizona
Start Date: August 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #18:
Expanding Markets through Differentiation: New Species and Product Lines

Lead Entities: Saltwater Inc, Regeneration North
Location: Anchorage, AK
Start Date: September 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #19:
Simulation and Development of a Kelp Drying Prototype Using Existing Equipment

Lead Entity: Sea Quester Farms
Location: Juneau, AK
Start Date: October 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Innovations in Mooring Systems

Project #20:
Helical Anchor Performance Analysis

Lead Entities: Holdfast Robotics, Premium Aquatics
Location: Craig, AK
Start Date: September 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

De-risking Farming Through Site Suitability Analysis

Project #21:
Sea Otter Sound Mariculture Data Initiative: Collaborative Monitoring and Innovation in Southeast Alaska’s Mariculture Industry

Lead Entities: Kelp Blue, Craig Tribal Assocation
Location: Prince of Wales, AK
Start Date: August 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #22:
Early Warning of Harmful Algal Blooms and Biofouling Larvae Using the PlanktoScope, A Low-Cost Automated Plankton Imaging and Analysis Tool

Lead Entity: Ostrea Marine
Location: Juneau, AK
Start Date: September 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Boosting Oyster Growth at Nurseries or Farms

Project #23:
Developing improved seed of the Pacific oyster for the Southeast Alaska regions

Lead Entity: Pacific Hybreed
Location: Juneau, AK
Start Date: August 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #24:
Developing Hybrid Oyster Seeds for Alaska Shellfish Growers

Lead Entities: Pacific Hybreed, NOAA Fisheries Science Center
Location: Juneau, AK
Start Date: August 2024
JIP Cohort #2

Project #25:
Optimizing the tumble culture method to improve Pacific Oyster quality, and reduce labor for shellfish farms in Southeast Alaska

Lead Entity: Ostrea Marine
Location: Juneau, AK
Start Date: July 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #26:
Design and comprehensive planning of an Alaskan optimized intermodal freight container based shellfish setting and pre-nursery seed boosting system

Lead Entity: OceansAlaska
Location: Ketchikan, AK
Start Date: August 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Shellfish Enhancement

Project #27:
Hatchery Cultivation of the pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula)

Lead Entity: Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute
Location: Seward, AK
Start Date: August 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #28:
Evaluating subsistence shellfish beaches for future enhancement projects

Lead Entity: Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute
Location: Seward, AK
Start Date: August 2023
JIP Cohort #1

Interim Report Video

Project #29:
Developing increased survival techniques for shellfish enhancement of two species (Clinocardium nuttallii and Mya arenaria) through implementing predator protection in Southeast Alaska

Lead Entity: Organized Village of Kake
Location: Kake, AK
Start Date: August 2024
JIP Cohort #2