By Alison Feibel
Last month I had the opportunity to travel to Kodiak, Alaska, to participate in a Seaweed Product Development Workshop hosted by Alaska Sea Grant.
Maine and Alaska have many similarities. Both are rural coastal states with deep fishing heritage, and both are leading the country in seaweed farming. We also share one of the industry’s biggest challenges: developing strong, reliable markets and expanding the number of buyers.
The workshop brought together farmers, aspiring farmers, economic development specialists, and me, the lone non-Alaskan participant, to explore potential markets and value-added applications for Alaska’s seaweeds. (Of course, I was thinking about these opportunities from Maine’s perspective).
Over three days, we explored primary and secondary processing methods, food safety regulations, dietary uses and approved health claims, agricultural applications, and cosmetic products. We explored the intertidal zone which is full of SO many diverse species of kelp—I was in seaweed nerd heaven. And we collected species of our choosing that then we took back to the incredible pilot lab at the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center, where we processed and developed our own seaweed products.
I also visited to one of Kodiak’s seaweed farms and spent that morning helping harvest sugar kelp. I kept my eyes peeled for sea otters (we saw many)! It was my first time seeing a catenary array in action. Different from the longline systems commonly used in Maine, catenary arrays use a bridge-like arch structure that keeps cultivation lines under equal tension, allowing them to be spaced much closer together.
As a bonus, my visit coincided with the second annual Kodiak Kelp Festival. Similar to Maine’s Seaweed Week, local restaurants featured seaweed-inspired food and drinks, while community events included seaweed identification walks, arts and crafts, and even a polar plunge.
One of my biggest takeaways from the trip was seeing just how much Maine and Alaska have in common. Like Maine, Alaska’s seaweed industry is full of people who are committed to building a stronger future through innovation, collaboration, and persistence. I look forward to more opportunities to collaborate and hope we see some of our Alaskan colleagues in Maine soon!
Alison Feibel is a seaweed scientist and Maine Aquaculture Association’s community engagement coordinator.
