Mariculture conference will explore challenges and opportunities
Tamsen Peeples, left, and Eric Fagerstrom measure seaweed at test beds near Juneau in July 2016 for a joint project between the University of Alaska and Premium Oceanic. Peeples is now a graduate student at the UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.
Alice Bailey
907-474-5350
Feb. 18, 2022
The University of Alaska will host a mariculture conference in Juneau’s Centennial Hall on April 12-14, 2022. Registration is now open for the conference, which will focus on the status of mariculture in Alaska, as well as challenges and opportunities in the industry.
Mariculture refers to the cultivation of marine organisms in their natural environment, including the enhancement, restoration and farming of shellfish and seaweed. The industry is poised for success in Alaska.
The conference, “Mariculture for Alaska’s Future: Status, Challenges and Opportunities,” will bring together practitioners, regulators, policymakers, scientists and others from Alaska. The goal is to support mariculture’s expansion in Alaska looking at accomplishments and opportunities in research and education, policy and regulation, and industry growth.
Attendees will be invited to build on previous accomplishments. Those include the Alaska Mariculture Task Force’s Mariculture Development Plan and Final Report to the Governor, which create a road map for the industry. The conference will build on the January 2020 Alaska Mariculture Workshop hosted in Ketchikan by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Aquaculture and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Alaska Sea Grant and the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences are co-sponsoring and helping to coordinate the conference. Contributing to Alaska’s economic growth is a strategic goal for the university system. Mariculture programs at UAF and UA Southeast focus on training, research and development.
The conference is open to all interested individuals. Proof of vaccination will be required at registration and before entering the conference. The cost is $150. Visit the Juneau Economic Development Council mariculture website for details and to register.
CONTACT: Alice Bailey, ambailey2@alaska.edu, 907-474-5350.
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RELATED INFORMATION:
UAF’s Alaska Blue Economy Center builds knowledge and produces critical research to stimulate mariculture development. It partners with other university centers to promote innovation, new businesses and job opportunities.
UAF’s CFOS and College of Business and Security Management recently created the nation’s only online MBA degree designed to train people for the aquatic resources business.
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