Executive Order 13921, ’Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth,’ calls for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify specific areas suitable for commercial aquaculture termed ’Aquaculture Opportunity Areas’ (AOAs). To do so, NOAA is combining scientific analysis and public engagement to identify areas that are environmentally, socially, and economically appropriate for commercial aquaculture. As part of this process, NOAA will develop programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for the AOAs under the National Environmental Policy Act, relying on the broader NOAA aquaculture science community to provide important science advice products and material to inform these documents. During this presentation, the NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture will provide an overview of how the NOAA aquaculture science community is supporting the AOAs effort, including both sustained and new projects, capacity, and positions. We will also describe ways in which the broader aquaculture science community can support AOAs, now and into the future.