The planning and siting of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOA) in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and
the Southern California Bight is the first ever application of marine spatial planning in U.S.
waters for the development of offshore aquaculture at this scale. The results of these analyses
provide compelling evidence for the opportunities as well as challenges of siting offshore
aquaculture in the coastal ocean within a reasonable range of the working waterfront.
Geospatial analysis for identification of AOA options was based on a categorical framework to
ensure relevant, comprehensive data acquisition and characterization for spatial suitability
modeling. An authoritative spatial data inventory was developed that included data layers
relevant to administrative boundaries, national security (i.e., military), navigation and
transportation, energy and industry infrastructure, commercial and recreational fishing, natural
and cultural resources, and oceanography. With over 200 data layers included in each analysis,
the maps, models, and descriptions provide the most comprehensive marine spatial modeling in
the U.S. federal waters to date. Our methods and models can be used to significantly improve
the next generation of marine spatial planning, contributing support far beyond aquaculture
development by unleashing the power of spatial analytics for offshore energy exploration,
shipping and navigation, national security and military strategy, identification of marine protected
areas, and burgeoning sectors of the ocean economy.