Enhancing safety culture in mariculture

There will likely never be a reality show called “Deadliest Kelp.” 

But even if mariculture in Alaska doesn’t have the same dangerous reputation as commercial fishing, it’s still a hazardous line of work. That’s why Alaska Sea Grant is partnering on new safety curricula and training aimed at the state’s burgeoning mariculture industry.

“There’s this recognition that the existing resources for marine safety in the state have mostly been targeted towards commercial fisheries that take place on bigger vessels,” said Alaska Sea Grant shellfish mariculture specialist James Crimp, who is testing out the curricula developed by the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) and the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS). “Previous trainings weren’t always a good fit for training new crew members at an oyster farm or a seaweed farm.”

Crimp took part in a “train-the-trainer” exercise in Sitka in May, in which AMSEA and UAS instructors tested out the curricula with Alaska Sea Grant faculty, including Crimp, mariculture specialist Missy Good, and mariculture trainer and technician Arron Jones. Classroom sessions covered topics including small boat safety, situational awareness and ergonomics, while hands-on segments addressed fire suppression, knots, survival kits and more. 

The group decamped to the Blatchley Pool for lessons in cold weather survival and person-overboard drills. Crimp noted these lessons are highly relevant to mariculture settings where people work off of skiffs and platforms, and in proximity to potentially hazardous elements like cranes and lines under tension. “You’re working all day on a raft or low-sided boats where there are a lot of tripping hazards,” Crimp noted. “Falling overboard, I would say, is probably more common in mariculture than in larger boat fisheries.” 

Crimp said one of the most important parts of the course was trying out nearly twenty different types of personal flotation devices (PFDs), which are especially critical to mariculture safety, since farm skiffs may not contain survival suits. “Seaweed and shellfish farmers will be much more likely to wear their PFDs regularly if they have something practical and comfortable,” he noted. “We tried out PFDs ranging from vest-mounted inflatables to rain gear with integrated flotation, so as instructors we’ll be able to communicate the full range of options.”

The new mariculture safety material is funded by the Alaska Mariculture Cluster, which is supported by a $49 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The curriculum consists of eight multimedia modules covering various mariculture safety topics, as well as a ninth module detailing instructional methods. Crimp said the curriculum will be useful for workforce development programs such as the UAS Alaska Aquaculture Semester or Alaska Sea Grant’s summer mariculture apprenticeships. It will also be an asset for certified AMSEA marine safety instructors—seven of whom are Alaska Sea Grant agents—who would be able to expand their reach to mariculture workers. 

Crimp called the exercise in Sitka an invaluable step in finalizing the curriculum, with everyone participating in both the instruction and learning process. “This was a chance for us to provide feedback and to put the finishing touches on this curriculum,” Crimp said. “It was a ‘train the trainer,’ but it was also an opportunity for us all to put our heads together.” 

The preliminary Mariculture Marine Safety course is available to certified instructors on the AMSEA website, and Crimp said he expects the complete online course to be finalized by the end of the summer. In addition, the course developers are creating a self-paced Mariculture Marine Safety for-credit course at UAS that will be offered online beginning in 2027.