Shellfish and Seaweed Festival highlights mariculture in Alaska

More than 100 people, including farmers, scientists, industry personnel, and community members participated in Alaska Sea Grant’s first Shellfish and Seaweed Festival. The online event featured presentations to celebrate and promote the mariculture industry in Alaska and the delicious shellfish and seaweed products grown here.

Melissa Good, Alaska Sea Grant’s mariculture specialist, kicked off the first day with an introduction to mariculture in Alaska, the types of products being farmed, and where farms are currently located. The week ended with a presentation about the promising future of mariculture in Alaska by Julie Decker, Executive Director at the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation. Throughout the week presentations and videos shared commercial farms and farming practices, subsistence harvesting and traditional ways of preparing seaweed, oyster and seaweed recipes, beers made from Alaska-grown oysters and kelp, and a discussion of wines to pair with oysters and other seafoods.

Visit the Shellfish and Seaweed Festival event page for a recap of the schedule of events.

Watch the complete Facebook Live recordings of the Festival on the Shellfish and Seaweed Growers Project facebook page.

Find a list of Alaskan businesses selling oyster and seaweed products locally and through mail order in the Alaska Mariculture Directory.