The shellfish and seaweed aquaculture industry in Alaska (referred to as mariculture here) is small but currently growing. We are investigating ecosystem interactions and influences at mariculture farms to provide data to inform growth of the industry for both commercial and restoration purposes. We are working in regions previously affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill and are active mariculture growing areas, including Prince William Sound, Kachemak Bay, and Kodiak Island. This project, the Mariculture Research and Restoration Consortium (Mariculture ReCon), is unique in its geographic scale and broad ecological scope.
The Mariculture ReCon project is working at three farms in each of these three regions over a five to ten-year period to understand spatial and temporal variation in environmental conditions that may affect productivity of shellfish and seaweed farms, as well as examining ecosystem services of farms and interactions of the ecosystem with farms. Researchers are working closely with farmers to understand how farms are either influenced by or are influencing water quality, benthic communities, fouling organisms, and fish, bird and mammal populations. The data and results generated from the project are being used to monitor oceanographic conditions and biological communities as mariculture expands over the next ten years; evaluate restorative and/or adverse outcomes of mariculture operations on ecological communities; identify best practices for optimizing productivity, longevity, and site selection of farms; establish methodology and cost-assessments for generating Alaska-based oyster seed; address missing supply chain links necessary to move mariculture products to the market; and disseminate information to individuals and communities for implementation.