NOAA Releases 2026 Alaska Aquaculture Report: 77 Potential Sites Spanning More Than 13,000 Acres
NOAA Fisheries' Alaska Regional Office released the 2026 Alaska Aquaculture Accomplishments Report on November 6, highlighting projects and partnerships that support the development of Alaska's growing aquaculture industry.
NOAA Fisheries supports aquaculture in Alaska through science, policy, management and collaboration with state and federal agencies, Tribal governments and organizations, industry, researchers and coastal communities, guided by the 2023-2028 NOAA Aquaculture Strategic Plan.
A major focus of 2026 was advancing Aquaculture Opportunity Area (AOA) planning. In February 2026, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science published the Aquaculture Opportunity Area Atlas for the Gulf of Alaska. The spatial analysis evaluated more than 4 million acres and incorporated 80 data layers, identifying 77 potential AOA options spanning more than 13,000 acres across 10 study areas in Southeast, Southcentral and Southwest Alaska. NOAA also released the Alaska Digital Atlas, providing access to the individual data layers and maps used in the study. The report notes the options are the highest-ranked candidates, not the only potentially suitable sites in state waters.
On the science side, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center continued research on regional differences in Pacific oyster growth and survival, shell-boring polychaetes, and improving oyster seed and production through field testing, hatchery research and farmer collaboration. Researchers also investigated the use of kelp farm infrastructure by nearshore fish and invertebrate populations and the effects of food availability and temperature on oyster spat.
NOAA staff also visited farms and aquaculture facilities in Kodiak, Ketchikan and Craig to better understand operations, equipment, research needs and industry priorities. Workforce development continued through the NOAA Alaska Marine Education and Training Mini-Grant, which allowed Salty Lady Seafood Company in Juneau to train two recruits in shellfish farm management in 2025 and 2026; trainees took part in farm operations, shellfish processing, community outreach and collaborative research with NOAA Fisheries and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, including monitoring harmful algal blooms and evaluating biofouling reduction methods. (Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：NOAA 渔业局人员在水边分拣牡蛎。NOAA Fisheries 官方照片，美国政府作品、公共领域。 / Photo: NOAA Fisheries personnel sorting oysters by the water. NOAA Fisheries, U.S. government work, public domain.
