Aquatic farms submitted the first applications to produce kelp in Alaska in 2016. The following year, these farms grew 7.5 tons of product. The 2019 harvest is expected to be near 100 tons, which would make Alaska the largest producer of kelp in the United States . The acreage of Alaska aquatic farm area in current applications is more than double the total acreage of two years ago, and m ost of the new acreage is slated for farming kelp.
Expansion of kelp and other algae production in Alaska is certain. However, how far the expansion will go, what future opportunities exist, and how the challenges will be overcome is still largely unknown because the industry is so dynamic.
Alaska has more than 10,000 kilometers of coastline and nearly 4 million square miles in the exclusive economic zone, with fewer than 1 million residents . Much of this area is remote, nutrient rich, and free from many of the area conflicts that occur in other regions. Yet with remoteness comes added expense. Large distances from population centers mean fewer services and higher transportation and maintenance costs. The small local population means that any large-scale production will be transported to distant markets, increasing costs . And despite the small population, c onflicts still arise between user groups.
In addition to the need to develop markets, decisions on which species to grow, how to grow them, where to grow them, when to harvest, and how to process the product are still in progress. As the industry grows, new factors are c hanging all of these questions.
Current farms are primarily focusing on food products, but the development of expertise and infrastructure may allow for expansion into new areas, such as biofuels and alginate products not currently in production.
The regulatory and political climate are also in flux, as the State of Alaska and the f ederal g overnment both adjust to the new and changing needs and realities of the industry on the ground.