Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements for these Aquaculture Opportunity Areas are open for public comment from November 22, 2024 through February 20, 2025.
NOAA has released the Draft Programmatic Environmental Statements (DPEIS) for public comment on the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the Southern California Bight Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs). The public is welcome to submit comments online for both DPEIS’s until February 20, 2025. Five public listening sessions are also scheduled from December to February, hosted by NOAA’s Aquaculture Program.
The U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the Southern California Bight were the first areas to be studied for AOAs. NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) developed two aquaculture atlases in support of identifying locations that could potentially be suitable for establishing AOAs. These atlases provided the most comprehensive marine spatial analyses ever developed for any U.S. ocean space. NCCOS developed each atlas using more than 200 data layers accounting for key environmental, economic, social, and cultural considerations, including fishing interests and marine protected areas. The studies identified areas that have the highest relative potential to support marine aquaculture operations, while also minimizing conflicts with other ocean uses and the surrounding ecosystem.
Visit the links below to provide public comment on the DPEIS or attend a public listening session.
Gulf of Mexico
- Public comments can be submitted online from November 22, 2024 through February 20, 2025.
- Attend a public listening session hosted by NOAA’s Aquaculture Program on:
- December 17, 2024, 6:30-8:30 pm Central Time via this registration link.
- January 15, 2025, 3:30-5:30 pm Central Time via this registration link.
- February 13, 2025, 6:30-8:30 pm Central Time via this registration link.
Southern California
- Public comments can be submitted online from November 22, 2024 through February 20, 2025.
- Attend a public listening session hosted by NOAA’s Aquaculture Program on:
- January 23, 2025, from 1-3 p.m. Pacific Time via this registration link.
- January 28, 2025, from 5-7 p.m. Pacific Time via this registration link.
View additional science products NCCOS produced to support AOAs.