Although the United States is a global leader in aquaculture science and technology, we lag in production. Executive Order 13921 “Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth” aims to bridge this gap. With a new vision and strategic plan to support aquaculture development, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is leading a shift-change in U.S. aquaculture development through the identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs). The search for AOAs in U.S. waters is a planning process, not a regulatory process, to identify defined geographic areas that are environmentally, socially, and economically appropriate for commercial aquaculture.
By pursuing AOAs, we increase the confidence of both entrepreneurs and regulators via proactive planning measures that inform the permitting and environmental review processes for projects proposed to be sited within an AOA. AOAs are intended to minimize interactions of aquaculture development with other ocean uses and important environmental resources, maintaining NOAA’s commitment to ocean stewardship. The process to identify potential AOA siting options and complete a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for each AOA will rely on the best available scientific information and involve extensive public engagement.
In 2020, NOAA began the process of identifying potential AOAs in the Gulf of Mexico and Southern California federal waters. AOA Atlases, documenting the spatial modeling analyses that inform the AOA identification process, were released for both the Gulf of Mexico and Southern California in 2021. In 2023, NOAA announced a partnership with the State of Alaska to begin identifying AOAs in Alaska state waters. The AOA identification process in these three regions, the Gulf of Mexico, Southern California, and Alaska, mark an exciting new chapter for the development of sustainable aquaculture in the United States.