NOAA Fisheries has released two draft programmatic environmental impact statements to help identify aquaculture opportunity areas (AOA) in southern California and the Gulf of Mexico.
These documents outline potential sites for sustainable commercial aquaculture operations and are open for public review and comment from 22 November 2024 to 20 February 2025.
“With climate change posing risks to America’s food security, aquaculture offers a pathway to grow climate resilience,” said NOAA Fisheries assistant administrator Janet Coit.
“Identifying areas suitable for sustainable aquaculture is a forward-looking step toward strengthening climate-smart food systems.”
The draft statement evaluates the environmental impact of various aquaculture scenarios, including seaweed, shellfish and finfish farming.
In southern California, up to ten locations covering up to 16,500 acres (6,677 ha) are proposed, primarily in the Santa Barbara Channel and Santa Monica Bay.
In the Gulf of Mexico, NOAA has identified four potential AOA sites, totalling 6,500 acres (2,630 ha) off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.
This effort is backed by 19 new scientific products on biosecurity, economics and social impact, and is guided by extensive spatial planning and public input.
NOAA is also working on identifying viable aquaculture areas in Alaska, with the broader goal of strengthening US food security and supporting coastal communities as climate challenges grow.
“Since its inception, the aquaculture opportunity area process has been rooted in science and informed by public input,” said Danielle Blacklock, director of NOAA’s Office of Aquaculture.
“NOAA has made significant efforts to engage constituents each step of the way by soliciting comments and shaping our actions to best serve the American public.”
