Prince William Sound Kelp Mariculture Development: Kelp Harvest Data of Nereocystis luetkeana, Alaria marginata, and Saccharina latissima at Multiple Test Sites, 2022-2024

These data are part of Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s (CRRC) Prince William Sound Kelp Mariculture Development for Habitat Restoration and Local Economy project. These data reflect harvest yields and growth information recorded at operational kelp research sites during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 growing season. These data consist of total poundage harvested from each species, as well as sample weights taken from three discrete, one-foot sections of the growline of each species outplanted at test sites. From these sample sections, the total number of plants was recorded by counting the number of holdfasts within that section. From each section, five plants were randomly selected and measured, recording length, from the holdfast to the end of the frond, and width of the frond at the widest part, to note basic, phenotypic differences. Test site locations include two sites on the Western side of Prince William Sound, Fox Farm and Latouche, and multiple sites on the Eastern side of Prince William Sound, including Simpson Bay, Sheep Bay, Port Gravina, Tatitlek Narrows, and Port Etches. Three, 100-foot grow lines of three different species of kelp were outplanted at each test site, except at Port Etches, which was outplanted specifically as a bull-kelp only test site. Species outplanted included sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), ribbon kelp (Alaria marginata), bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), and three-ribbed kelp (Cymathere triplicata).