We are pleased to announce the Alaska Shellfish and Seaweed Festival, taking place virtually on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook from coastal communities around the state. Leading up to the event and during the week of the festival, if you order seafood products from participating businesses, you’ll receive a special gift package that includes recipe cards, a shucking knife, and other mariculture related goodies.

Hosted by the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, the Alaska Shellfish and Seaweed Festival celebrates and raises awareness of the sustainably grown and harvested seafood products available right here in Alaska. Mariculture is an emerging industry in Alaska, and this festival provides an opportunity to learn about what it’s like to run an oyster or seaweed farm, where to find quality shellfish and seaweed products in your communities, and interesting and delicious ways to cook Alaska’s fresh, locally grown mariculture foods.

The Alaska Shellfish and Seaweed Festival is free and open to the public. Registrants will receive a reminder email with online participation information and the schedule of events.

Register now

Is your business interested in participating in this event or being added to our Alaska-grown shellfish and seaweed directory? Please contact Hannah Wilson (information below).

The event kicks off with an introduction to mariculture from Melissa Good, Alaska Sea Grant’s mariculture specialist. Lexa Meyer, Alaska Sea Grant’s seafood workforce development coordinator and Alaska Mariculture Manager at Blue Evolution, will give an overview of seaweed farming. James Greeley, operations manager and oyster farmer at Tommaso Shellfish, will share information about oyster farming. 

The second and third days of the event will feature video tours of Alaska oyster and seaweed farms, and live online cooking demonstrations. Festival attendees can watch from the comfort of their own homes to learn how Alaska grown oysters and kelp are grown, harvested, and transformed into delicious entrees and condiments.

The final day of the event will feature discussions about the market for shellfish and seaweed, the future of mariculture in Alaska, and how communities and individuals can get involved. Marine aquaculture creates jobs, supports resilient working waterfronts and coastal communities, and provides new international trade opportunities. As global demand for seafood continues to grow, mariculture offers an economically beneficial and environmentally sustainable complement to Alaska’s wild fisheries.

Preliminary schedule

Subject to change, all times Alaska.

Monday, May 17, 6:00 –7:30pm

• Introduction to Mariculture with Melissa Good, Alaska Sea Grant
• Seaweed Farming 101 with Lexa Meyer, Blue Evolution
• Oyster Farming 101 with James Greeley, Tommaso Shellfish

Tuesday, May 18, 6:00–8:00pm

• Oyster Farm tour, video presentation
• Seaweed Farm tour, video presentation
• Bivalve identification game and seaweed quiz
• Meet an Alaska shellfish farmer, video presentation

Wednesday, May 19, 6:00–8:00pm

• Live oyster and kelp recipe cooking demo with Chef Austin Green
• How to shuck an oyster video
• How to pickle kelp with Gayla Pedersen
• Blue Evolution cooking videos

Thursday, May 20, 6:00–8:00pm

• Traditional Alutiiq seaweed uses presentation with Gayla Pedersen
• Environmental change and the future of mariculture presentation
• How aquaculture benefits coastal communities presentation

Check back for updates as we finalize the schedule.

Participating Businesses

Buy mariculture products from these participating Alaskan businesses the week of the festival to get some free swag* including an oyster-shucking knife with your purchase:

*Please confirm with individual businesses upon ordering. Check back for additions to this list.

Oysters:

Shikat Bay Oysters-nation-wide shipping

Tommaso Shellfish-nation-wide shipping

Fish from Trish-nation-wide shipping

Haines Packing Company-pick-up in Haines

Alaska Shellfish Farms-pick-up in Homer, nation-wide shipping

59 North Ocean Specialties-907.252.5698, clamgulchseafoods@gmail.com (Kenai Peninsula Deliveries)

Island Seafoods-pick-up in Kodiak

Seaweed Products:

Foraged & Found-nation-wide shipping

Beer:

49th State Brewing Company-oyster stout available at Anchorage taproom

Kodiak Island Brewing Company-kelp beer available at Kodiak taproom

Baleen Brewing-beers to pair with oyster and kelp dishes, available at Ketchikan taproom

Restaurants and Food Carts Serving Oyster and Seaweed-focused menu items:

Million Recipes-dishes featuring oysters and seaweed in Kodiak

Find more great Alaskan businesses selling oyster and seaweed products in our Alaska Mariculture Directory!