The promise of the blue economy and a growing interest in sustainable, reliable, and accessible sources of protein has enhanced interest in the potential of offshore aquaculture. To maximize the possible benefits of offshore aquaculture, it is essential to consider how its development might impact shoreside communities - positively, negatively, or otherwise. This study focused on coastal areas in the Gulf of Mexico in order to better characterize the impact that offshore aquaculture development could have on communities in the region.
Forty-five coastal communities in the central and western Gulf of Mexico were evaluated to consider vulnerability, risk, and opportunity related to the potential development of offshore aquaculture. Sub-regional community profiles were developed using three publicly available datasets: 1) NOAA Fisheries Community Social Vulnerability Indicators (CSVIs), 2) FEMA’s National Risk Index (NRI), and 3) NOAA Gulf of Mexico Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) – Aquaculture Indicators; findings were further ground-truthed through in-person interviews and community visits as part of a complementary project.
Resulting profiles illustrate a range of community characteristics that should be considered as part of any future planning or permitting process, in addition to informing thoughtful community engagement for any prospective offshore operation (e.g., considerations of existing infrastructure limitations given increasing storm events). In many cases, offshore aquaculture has the potential to both exacerbate existing vulnerabilities or provide potential solutions, depending on operation-specific decisions. The results of this study underscore the need to consider best practices for community engagement and context for offshore development to have the most positive impact on local communities.