2024 Growing Bull Kelp Workshop Report

This workshop was an invite-only environment for bull kelp researchers and farmers from Alaska and beyond to discuss the innovation and research needed to better understand how to grow bull kelp. During the workshop, 22 participants from the Alaska region came together in Kodiak, AK and were joined by 20 online participants for speaker sessions. Participants represented practitioners throughout bull kelp’s range and joined from California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Presentations covered topics such as bull kelp biology, bull kelp restoration efforts, and efforts to grow bull kelp for mariculture inside and outside of Alaska. 

This workshop served as the culmination of one year of work conducted by BKRS, and a platform for collaboratively identifying and planning for the next steps in growing the bull kelp industry. The main goal of this workshop was to discuss the work being done to advance our understanding of how bull kelp grows and identify the gaps in understanding that pose barriers to cultivation. By hearing from farmers and researchers in the state of Alaska and restoration specialists and practitioners outside the state, stakeholders were able to learn more about how to best grow this unique North American species.

To learn more about the topics covered and information presented at this workshop, check out our workshop report here.