Did you know one student's internship journey took them from kelp bed to carrot bed exploring mariculture research?

January 27, 2026

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Last summer, Prince William Sound College (PWSC) graduate Brittany Kuzma followed kelp harvested in Prince William Sound from the water to the field, as part of a mariculture research internship that took her from Cordova to Palmer.

Kuzma’s work connected tribal partners, University of Alaska academic programs, and agricultural researchers across the state. Over the course of the internship, she worked with kelp harvested in coastal waters, processed it for community use, and helped apply it to agricultural research plots in Southcentral Alaska.

She completed Occupational Endorsement Certificates in both Marine Natural Resources Technician (MNRT) and Natural Resources Technician (NRT) through Prince William Sound College, part of the University of Alaska Anchorage, as part of the Semester in the Sound programs. 

Kuzma was part of the first MNRT cohort before continuing into the NRT program, gaining hands-on training in both marine and terrestrial natural resources.

Next, she translated her classroom work into real-world experience. Through a collaborative internship in Cordova, supported by the Native Village of Eyak (NVE), Kuzma “worked with tribal scientists, tribal environmental staff, and local mariculture practitioners to explore the full lifecycle of kelp—from ocean harvest to agricultural application,” according to a PWSC feature on Kuzma and her work. 

In Cordova, Kuzma harvested and processed more than 2,000 pounds of ribbon kelp, working alongside Caitlin McKinstry (NVE biologist) and Erik Long (NVE Environmental Scientist). The kelp was cleaned, blanched, vacuum-sealed, and distributed to tribal members as a gift.

“It was really cool because I was able to participate and interact with the community service part,” Kuzma said. “We cleaned it, blanched it, vacuum-packed it and everything.”

Processing took place at a fish-cleaning station operated by the Native Village of Eyak. The work required coordinating burners, cooling stations, and packaging equipment to safely handle a perishable marine resource, offering a practical look at the challenges of working with kelp in a remote coastal community.

Kuzma also spent time at Simpson Bay Oyster Company, where she learned about oyster rotation and biofouling management.

From Cordova, the work shifted inland.

In Palmer, Kuzma assisted with agricultural research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center on a kelp-fertilizer study led by Dr. Erin Oliver, a Washington State University postdoc and USDA Climate Hub Fellow specializing in soil and agricultural research. Researchers there are studying kelp as a natural fertilizer and soil biostimulant for vegetable crops grown in Alaska, including carrots.

Kuzma helped dry and prepare more than 2,000 pounds of kelp, assisted with soil testing, and supported field preparation for the study. 

The project was shared during UAF’s Research Field Day, where farmers, researchers, and community members learned about ongoing agricultural research across the state.

For Kuzma, the internship tied together classroom training and applied research across two different landscapes and showcases the journey across the state research can make within the UA system when teams collaborate.

“Being able to give something back to the community, learning from local farmers, and working on something that could improve food security made everything click,” she said. “I wasn’t just learning about sustainability; I was living it.”

By the end of the summer, Kuzma had harvested kelp in Prince William Sound, helped prepare it for community use, and assisted with agricultural trials in the Mat-Su Valley. The internship gave her experience across multiple stages of Alaska’s mariculture and agriculture systems, from harvest and processing to applied research.

That work was made possible through coordination among PWSC programs, tribal partners in Cordova, and agricultural researchers in Palmer, showing how a single student internship can span regions, disciplines, and institutions across Alaska.

Go Deeper: 
Program Feature: Marine Natural Resources Technician Program, Prince William Sound College
Occupational Endorsement Certificate in Marine Natural Resources Technician
Prince William Sound College Semester on the Sound