Kelp the Sound: Building Mariculture Expertise in Prince William Sound, Alaska

The purpose of this project is to increase local accessibility to regional expertise on kelp farming and increase local capacity for a kelp nursery to grow seedlings.

Already, this project has allowed the PIs to travel to Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute in Seward to obtain valuable nursery training. The information gained from the training will be used to generate a standard operating procedure for a Cordova-based nursery. Next, the team will hold the first “Kelp the Sound” workshop on March 4th, 2023 which will gather kelp farmers and experts to inform participants on the ins and outs of kelp farming. The goal of the workshop is for participants to leave with realistic expectations for how to start a kelp farm, operate it, harvest, and market their product.