In 2025, Blue Starr Oyster Co. was awarded funds through the Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) “Other Mariculture Species” grant to conduct an exciting mariculture research project. The aim of this project is to trial the cultivation of three species of oyster that have never been farmed in Alaska before: the Olympia (Ostrea lurida), Kumamoto (Magallana sikamea), and Virginica (Crassostrea virginica) oysters.

Until now, Alaska’s oyster farming industry has been exclusively farming Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). While this species is in high demand and grows well, being reliant on a single species makes the sector vulnerable to supply chain issues, market changes, and environmental shifts. Diversification of the oyster species cultivated in Alaska can strengthen the sector and provide opportunities to reach new markets.

The team at Blue Starr Oyster Co. is excited to be testing new species of oysters on the farm. Working with shellfish hatcheries in Washington, California, and Hawai’i, we have brought in both Virginica oysters (2025) and Kumamoto oysters (2026) and are using our existing farm infrastructure and FLUPSY (nursery) to grow each new species from seed (juveniles) through to fully grown market size. Along the way, we have been measuring key data such as growth and survival rates, water conditions, and how these “other” species compared to our typical Pacific oysters by monitoring a control group alongside the new species. This will provide critical insights into the feasibility of growing each of these species in Alaska. This work and our lessons learned will be shared throughout the sector so that other farmers can best understand the needs of the new oyster species, should they want to grow them as well.

We are sharing our progress and challenges through the AMC website, where you can follow the project, read our quarterly reports, and learn about the other innovative mariculture projects being funded by AMC.