February 2025 Update

February 28, 2025

Hello from Ketchikan, Alaska! We have some great updates to share with you this month, but first, make sure you're signed up for our emails by clicking here!

We've been awarded a $500,000 R&D grant!

We're excited to announce that after a very competitive selection process we’ve been awarded a $500,000 grant to propel our Alaskan kelp agriculture products to new heights!

Over the next two years, we will be conducting field trial research with Cornell University and Washington State University to study the impacts of using our liquid kelp products on turfgrasses and wine grapes.

Our university partners will be researching how our Alaskan kelp products can benefit soil health, improve crop resilience, and enhance yield, all while potentially reducing the amount of water and fertilizers that are needed.

The ultimate goal of this research is to demonstrate that Alaskan kelp products can improve the sustainability of terrestrial agriculture while also growing the farmer's bottom line, thereby boosting demand for the high-quality kelp that we have up here in Alaska!

We are greatly appreciative of the Southeast Conference for funding this important research, as well as for our research partners, Kyle Wickings and Bhaskar Bondada.

To learn more about this exciting project make sure you're signed up for our email newsletters by clicking here, and also check out the official announcement from the Southeast Conference linked here!

Alaska Mariculture Conference 2025

We had a great time attending the 2025 Alaska Mariculture Conference in Sitka earlier this month. This was our third time attending the conference that brings together industry experts, farmers, processors, researchers, and community leaders to discuss the future of mariculture in the State.

One of the highlights of this year's conference (besides the free Alaskan oysters!) was the focus on scaling up the industry. Panelists, researchers and experts shared their perspectives on what needs to be done to grow the size of the Alaskan mariculture industry to $100 million dollars per year (Governor Dunleavy's stated goal).

We were especially pleased to see the Alaska Department of Fish and Game discussing some of the challenges they face when regulating the industry, including how they decided on the '50x50' rule which regulates kelp genetics in the state. We were happy to hear that they have begun the process of reexamining that rule and may have some new (more favorable) regulations for the industry in the future!