Cooperative Agreement NA24NOSX012C0010

ALASKA IS THE CORNERSTONE OF AMERICA'S BLUE ECONOMY. IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC CRISES HAVE DISRUPTED AND ERODED ALASKAS CRITICAL OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS, COASTAL COMMUNITIES, AND MARITIME INDUSTRIES. ALASKA HAS AN IMMEDIATE NEED TO IMPROVE ITS RESILIENCE TO THE CHALLENGES OF A CHANGING CLIMATE. AFDF IS IDEALLY POSITIONED TO WORK WITH NOAA TO EXPAND UPON ITS AFDF STARTUP ACCELERATOR WITH THREE OCEAN-BASED CLIMATE RESILIENCE THEMES: (1) ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, (2) RESILIENT COASTAL COMMUNITIES, AND (3) CLIMATE-READY MARITIME INDUSTRIES. BY WORKING TO MATCH CLIMATE SOLUTIONS WITH MARKET OPPORTUNITIES, AFDF CAN ACCELERATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF OCEAN BUSINESSES THAT ENHANCE THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND ECONOMIES OF ALASKAS COASTAL COMMUNITIES. ENTREPRENEURS PARTICIPATING IN THE ACCELERATOR WILL GAIN TARGETED SUPPORT TO OPTIMIZE THE ROLLOUT OF INNOVATIVE CLIMATE SOLUTIONS. OVER TIME, THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO FORTIFY FOOD SECURITY, SUSTAIN EMPLOYMENT, AND STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN COASTAL AND RURAL COMMUNITIES, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON ALASKA NATIVE VILLAGES, SEAFOOD HARVESTERS, AND PROCESSORS. PARTNERS: UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS (UAF), WASHINGTON MARITIME BLUE, AFDF INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AFDF NETWORK, ALASKA MARICULTURE CLUSTER, UNITED FISHERMEN OF ALASKA (UFA), COASTAL VILLAGES REGION FUND, BERING SEA FISHERMENS ASSOCIATION, LAUNCH ALASKA, GBETA,CIRCLE SEAFOOD, SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE, BUILDERS VISION, AND BLUE OCEAN GEAR.