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Assisting Alaska Shellfish Managers to Avoid Emergency Rainfall Closures
This research aims to provide data on fecal coliform levels at remote shellfish growing/harvesting sites in relation to heavy rainfall, water quality and currents. The data will assist growers and regulators toward ways to efficiently monitor and avoid contamination.
Despite Alaska’s 30,000 miles of scenic coastline, the state is not immune to pollution problems. In June 2016, Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC), Division of Environmental Health, Food Safety and Sanitation - Shellfish Program implemented an Emergency Closure Criteria when ≥2 inches of rain falls within a 24-hour period. The event was Alaska’s first emergency criteria related to rainfall, which closed three approved shellfish areas, encompassing 120 square miles of marine waters in southeastern Alaska. This proposal seeks solutions to increasingly problematic fecal coliform levels in remote shellfish growing areas, building on continuing discussion between ADEC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and shellfish farmers and other stakeholders.
This project will create a highly-detailed dataset characterizing key water quality and microbiological conditions at remote farm and harvest sites currently subject to closures due to storm and rainfall events. Project staff will conduct baseline water profiles for currents, temperature and salinity while collecting bacteriological samples at an Alaska oyster farm site currently subject to rainfall closure conditions. A real-time instrument for bacteria indicator organisms will also be deployed at the farm, and spot samples will be collected at nearby geoduck harvest sites. These observations will be compared with the historical and current bacteriological sampling regimes. Project partners—including shellfish growers, harvesters and regulators—will then review the findings to assess current water quality monitoring and management procedures and recommend new ones.
This project aims to address a significant impediment to shellfish production in Alaska, provides critical support to ADEC, fulfills regional shellfish grower objectives, and contributes to the national need for sustainable seafood production. Efficiency of farm and wild harvest in Alaska will be increased through reduced water quality closures. The results of this project will effectively increase production of safe shellfish to meet growing domestic and international demand.
Project Leaders: The research team includes Bobbi Hudson, Dan Cheney and Andy Suhrbier of the Pacific Shellfish Institute, Kimberly Stryker of the State of Alaska DEC, and Gary Freitag of Alaska Sea Grant’s Marine Advisory Program.
Project Funding: This research is supported by a grant (#PO520968) from the NOAA Sea Grant Aquaculture Initiative program for FY2018-2019 and through generous contributions from Alaska Sea Grant, the Southeast Alaska Regional Dive Fisheries Association (SARDFA), the Alaska Shellfish Growers Association (ASGA), Rocky Bay Oysters, Blue Starr Oyster Co. and Alaska DEC.
Project Summary (pdf)
Sea Grant Aquaculture Extension 2015: Alaskan Mariculture Diversification, Innovation and Technology Transfer
Mariculture in Alaska is a fraction of its potential, with invertebrate shellfish culture currently valued around $1 million, with 95% of sales coming from Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) production. This project strives to grow the Alaska mariculture industry by targeting current farmers and reaching out to early entrepreneurs through workshops, conferences and trade-shows with the most up-to-date technology and business strategies. Leading experts in the industry will be consulted in an effort to increase the efficiency of currently cultured species (Pacific oyster, C. gigas and mussels, Mytilus trossolus,) and to aid in the exploration of culturing new species in Alaska, including seaweed (e.g. Laminaria saccharina) and the purple-hinged rock scallop (Crassadoma gigantean).
The Pacific Shellfish Institute is a collaborator and sub-contractor on this project, providing technical assistance and advisement on best culture practices of oyster and kelp species. PSI also works closely with specialists on the East coast to connect Alaska hatcheries and growers with methods to commercially cultivate seaweed. PSI is coordinating distribution of new oyster grow-out gear and seaweed cultivation materials to Alaska shellfish farmers, and assisting with the permitting process to begin seaweed grow-out activities in the state. Along with the project’s Co-PIs, PSI coordinated a conference for Alaska shellfish growers in late 2015, and plans to follow-up with a second conference in late 2016. The overarching goal of the conference, held in conjunction with the Alaska Shellfish Growers Association (ASGA) annual meeting, is to keep growers up-to-date with the latest technology and advancements being made by the industry.
Project Leaders The research team for this project includes Gary Freitag (PI) and Quentin Fong (Co-PI) from the Alaska Sea Grant’s Marine Advisory Program and a number of collaborating agencies including: Maine Shellfish R+D, Ocean Approved, Baywater Inc., Oceans Alaska, Alaska Shellfish Growers Association, Blue Starr Oysters, Alaska Shellfish Farms, and Kustaka Oyster Farm. This project is funded by Alaska Sea Grant Extension, from September 2015 – August 2017.
Presentations:
Partners:
Alaska Mariculture Initiative: Economic Analysis to Inform a Statewide Strategic Plan
In 2014-2015, the Pacific Shellfish Institute assisted the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) with Phase 1 of an Economic Analysis to Inform the Alaska Mariculture Initiative (AMI), a statewide strategic plan to grow Alaska’s mariculture activities to a $1 billion industry.
Currently, mariculture in the state of Alaska makes up a small fraction of the $5.8 billion seafood industry, which employs nearly 10% of the state’s population. Partners of this study questioned, “Why not Alaska?”. Why has there not been significant development of a mariculture industry in Alaska? Results from this study identify existing barriers and how, from the examination of success stories worldwide, mariculture can become a thriving industry in the state of Alaska.
Nine case studies of successful mariculture initiatives within the U.S. and other countries, detailing the social, economic, regulatory, technological and biological climate of each and the applicability to mariculture in Alaska are described in Phase 1 of the economic analysis. This portion of the analysis will aid in the development planning, implementation and overall advancement of mariculture in the state of Alaska. The development of Phase 1 was funded by NOAA (grant no. NA14NMF4270058). It was prepared for AFDF by Northern Economics in association with the Pacific Shellfish Institute and Maine Shellfish Research and Development.
The Pacific Shellfish Institute is proud to have contributed to this analysis, which has helped Governor Walker’s Administration create the Alaska Mariculture Task Force for the planning and development of mariculture activities in the state. In addition to this exciting policy change, the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB) has listed mariculture as a project priority for its 2016 RFP funding, with the intention to grow this industry in the coming years.
Partners:
Supporting Information:
- Final Report Economic Analysis to Inform the Alaska Mariculture Initiative: Phase 1 Case Studies
- Governor Walker Signs Administrative Order to Diversify Alaska Economy with Mariculture Industry: Article
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