Gulf of Alaska | Humans
Bringing seaweed cultivation into the classroom: A case study in rural Alaska Presenter: Rebecca Cates , rebecca.cates@noaa.gov, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center Jordan Hollarsmith , jordan.hollarsmith@noaa.gov, NOAA AFSC
Alicia Bishop , alicia.bishop@noaa.gov, NOAA AKRO Stori Oates , stori.oates@noaa.gov, NOAA AFSC Justina Starzynski-Hotch , jzynski@gmail.com, Chatham School District Hannah Wilson , hwilson@afdf.org, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation
Seaweed farming is a nascent and rapidly growing industry in the United States, and particularly in Alaska. Despite the novelty of the industry, humans have consumed seaweed in coastal Alaska since time immemorial. However, challenges to the sustainable harvest of seaweed species are increasing. This collaborative project between NOAA Fisheries researchers and rural and urban classrooms in Alaska aimed to involve students and communities in seaweed education and cultivation with the three primary goals of: 1) community engagement, 2) place-based education, and 3) promoting food sovereignty. We developed and implemented STEAM curricula detailing the life cycle, physiology, and cultural importance of red seaweed, and classroom activities including a word search, seaweed pressing instructions, and a mobile aquaculture unit assembly and maintenance guide. This work can inform other organizations and classrooms interested in place-based education to increase community engagement and inclusiveness in STEAM opportunities, especially as they relate to marine education.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 299
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