(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Located south of Ketchikan in the George Inlet area, OceansAlaska, a first-class marine science center, has finished its first season and will be growing. OceansAlaska Research and Training Specialist Barbara Morgan said the Center is planning the second season of growing oyster and geoduck seed and plans are also being made to expand operations to better support the mariculture industry in Alaska.

OceansAlaska Marine Science Center
Photo courtesy OceansAlaska

Morgan said OceanAlaska's first season was a success with the effective production of geoduck and oyster seed as well as the production of the microalgae needed to feed them.  She said, "We will be able to build on the successes of the first season to produce more oyster and geoduck seed next growing season." OceansAlaska is fully operational and, although not in production currently, the plan is to produce 5-10 million oyster seed and 100 thousand geoduck clam seed for the mariculture industry.  The seeds, after growout on shellfish farms, will generate an estimated revenue of 1.45 - 2.9 million dollars to the oyster farmers and 1 million dollars to the geoduck farmers said Morgan. Second year production will begin early in 2013, with the start of algae cultures and then the first set of oyster and geoduck seed.

The oyster and geoduck seed produced will end up on oyster and geoduck farms in Alaska for growout to market size and will help meet the needs of the burgeoning mariculture industry in the state. Currently there is a serious shortage of oyster seed in the state and the Pacific Coast region said Morgan.

Given the seed crisis and the market demand of oysters, OceansAlaska is planning to expand operations and is in the planning stage of Phase II which includes a facility 3 to 4 times larger. The larger facility will be built on land at OceansAlaska existing site in the George Inlet area. Morgan said, "This will enable us to better meet the increasing demand for oyster and geoduck seed in Alaska and the entire West Coast region."

A larger facility will give OceansAlaska the capability of producing an estimated 3 million geoduck seed and 50 million oyster seed for the mariculture industry. Using average survival rates through all stages of culture this would result in about 1.5 million pounds of geoduck production worth at least $15 million and oyster production worth at least $20 million per year said Morgan.

OceansAlaska's ongoing and new projects include the development of a training program for the oyster farmers, development of mariculture protocols for scallop rearing, and work with the Alutiig Pride hatchery on Sea Cucumber growout methods.

Gary Freitag of the Marine Advisory Program conducts some of his monitoring of invasive species from the facility said Morgan. OceansAlaska is also working with the University of Alaska Southeast and Ketchikan High School on an underwater cleanup effort.

OceansAlaska Marine Science Center will build on its current work by adding other relevant research projects as the Center moves forward and as opportunities arise said Morgan. OceansAlaska plans to continue the development of mariculture techniques for other species of mariculture interest such as abalone, mussels and scallops she said.

Morgan said, " OceansAlaska is pleased to be able to support the economic development of the region through our work to grow the mariculture industry."

Bringing the concept of OceansAlaska to fruition was at least a 17-year process with the Center's official groundbreaking in August of 2009.

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