The seaweed resources of Alaska

Alaska has the longest coastline of all of the states in the USA. This coastal zone stretches from the temperate zone to past the Arctic circle. Oceanographic conditions vary from quiet estuaries to exposed open coasts. Water temperatures range from over 20 degrees C in the summer in the south to ice covered water in the north. Consequently, the marine flora is plentiful and diverse with over 500 species of seaweeds. Three species of floating kelps occur from the southern boundary to Kodiak Island and westward along the Aleutian Chain. Species of Fucus are dominant in the intertidal along most of the coastline. There is also an abundance of red algae in the intertidal and subtidal. There is only minimal subsistence and commercial utilization of the seaweed resource. The major commercial use of seaweeds is in the herring spawn-on-kelp fishery. "Black seaweed" (Pyropia sp.) is a special resource for Alaskan Native subsistence harvest. Recently, there has been increasing interest and activity in the commercial mariculture of kelps such as Saccharina latissima and Alaria marginata.