Schery Umanzor
College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau 99801, USA
In 2018, Alaska published a dynamic and comprehensive plan to boost shellfish farming and establish a viable and sustainable kelp mariculture industry, leading to long-term benefits for the State’s economy, environment, and communities. Kelp production has increased substantially since 2017, when commercial kelp was first harvested. Kelp farm sites in Alaska are selected based on proximity to compatible supply chains, boat ramps, or ports, with a preference for areas offering protection from wind and waves. Although these criteria for site selection are essential, they overlook kelp biological requirements. Likewise, harvest timing follows standard practices without considering how the nutritional quality and or other chemical properties of kelp may vary as a function of species or site. Harnessing the power of citizen science has proven an effective approach to addressing site selection and harvest timing that is responsive to Alaska’s extensive and environmentally diverse coastline. Farmers and researchers have teamed up to collect biological and environmental data from 16 southcentral and southeast Alaska farm sites. Here I will describe some particular challenges in site selection, present data showing the need to address site selection on a case-by-case basis, and share some insights on the importance of monitoring farm site environmental conditions to determine ideal harvest periods.