Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Now Available
On November 15, 2024, NOAA Fisheries filed its Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in U.S. Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico and made the draft available for public review:
Opportunity to Comment on the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement - Coming soon!
On November 22, 2024, a Notice of Availability will be published for the DPEIS, initiating a 90-day public review and comment period which will conclude on Thursday, February 20, 2025. During this time, the public will have the opportunity to provide written comments. Stakeholders and the public will also have opportunities to join three virtual public meetings to provide verbal comments. For early registration, please use the links below:
- Tuesday, December 17, 2024, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. CST/7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. EST
- Wednesday January 15, 2025, 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. CST/4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. EST
- Thursday, February 13, 2025, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. CST/7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. EST
Visit the Get Involved page for more information on how to provide public comment when the public comment period opens on November 22, 2024.
A Public Planning Process
NOAA Fisheries is developing a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to consider identifying one or more Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in U.S. federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico that may be suitable for marine finfish, shellfish, macroalgae or multi-species aquaculture operations. The PEIS will also evaluate the potential impacts and benefits associated with siting aquaculture in those locations, which could occur through future proposals and project level review.
The intent of this PEIS is to support long-term planning for offshore aquaculture. The PEIS is not a regulatory or permitting action and does not propose to authorize or permit any specific aquaculture-related activities or individual aquaculture projects.
Download AOA One-Pager (PDF)
Download AOA One-Pager (Spanish PDF)
Download AOA One-Pager (Vietnamese PDF)
What is an AOA?
An AOA is a defined geographic area that has been evaluated to determine its potential suitability for commercial aquaculture.
NOAA Fisheries will use a combination of scientific analysis and public engagement to identify AOAs that may be environmentally, socially, and economically suitable for commercial aquaculture.
AOAs may only be identified by NOAA Fisheries after completion of a final programmatic environmental impact statement and issuance of a Record of Decision, in accordance with NEPA.
Visit NOAA Fisheries national AOA website for more information on AOAs.
What is the Goal Of and Need For Identifying AOAs?
The goal of identifying AOAs is to promote American seafood competitiveness, food security, economic growth, and support the facilitation of the development of domestic commercial aquaculture, consistent with sustaining and conserving marine resources and applicable laws, regulations and policies.
In addition to meeting the directives of Executive Order 13921, Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth (E.O. 13921, May 7, 2020), identifying AOAs will help to address the increasing demand for seafood; inform long-term planning for marine aquaculture development; and address interests and concerns regarding offshore marine aquaculture siting.
Expanding sustainable seafood production, both wild-capture and aquaculture, is a key investment in the blue economy. NOAA is committed to developing marine aquaculture as a resource-efficient method of increasing and diversifying U.S. seafood production that can expand and stabilize U.S. seafood supply in the face of environmental change and economic uncertainty.
AOA Alternatives for DPEIS
In November 2021, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science published a comprehensive spatial modeling study, An Aquaculture Opportunity Atlas for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, which identified nine potential options for AOA locations in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
These nine locations were identified using spatial suitability modeling 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 (i.e., non-living resources). This spatial modeling approach was specific to the planning goal of identifying discrete areas that are 500 - 2,000 acres that met the industry and engineering requirements of depth and distance from shore and that may be suitable for all types of aquaculture development including the cultivation of finfish, macroalgae, shellfish, or a combination of species.
NOAA Fisheries and its cooperating agencies considered the public comments received, along with the best available science and any new information related to ocean uses in or around the nine potential locations for AOAs in the Gulf of Mexico, in order to make a determination about how many and which locations would be carried forward and fully analyzed as alternatives in the draft PEIS.
Of those nine locations from the Atlas, locations E-1, E-3 and E-3 off the coast of Florida were eliminated from further detailed study in the draft PEIS due to potential conflicts between future commercial aquaculture development and current military readiness and training activities. Additionally, location C-11 off the coast of Louisiana was eliminated from further detailed study in the draft PEIS due to the location’s overlap with important shrimp trawling grounds.
The remaining locations carried forward and analyzed as AOA Alternatives in the draft PEIS (in addition to the No Action Alternative) were locations W-1, W-4 and W-8 off the coast of Texas, and C-3 and C-13 off the coast of Lousianna. Based on the analysis conducted in the draft PEIS, NOAA Fisheries is identifying Alternatives 2-5 (W-1, W-4, W-8 and C-3) as the Preferred Alternatives, potentially suitable for finfish, shellfish, macroalgae or multi-species aquaculture operations. The identification of multiple preferred alternatives also supports the potential identification for one of more AOAs to be identified in the Gulf of Mexico.
Map showing five of the AOA Alternatives analyzed in the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to Identify AOAs in U.S. Federal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico/. The four Preferred Alternatives (green) are W-1, W-4, W-8 and C-3.AOA Alternative C-13 (red) was analyzed but not identified as a preferred AOA Alternative.
Cooperating Agencies
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Air Force are cooperating agencies on this DPEIS.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and U.S. Coast Guard are providing expertise and technical assistance in support of this DPEIS.
Get Involved
Stay tuned! The next opportunity for formal public comment and involvement in the PEIS process is during the 90-day public review and comment period for the publication of the DPEIS. This comment and review period will begin on November 22, 2024 and conclude on February 20, 2025.
In the meantime, if you have questions about the PEIS or new information that you think would help NOAA Fisheries in its analysis of potential AOA locations, please reach out to Andrew Richard, Southeast Regional Aquaculture Coordinator at nmfs.ser.aquaculture@noaa.gov or (727) 551-5709.
For More Information
Contact Andrew Richard, Southeast Regional Aquaculture Coordinator, at nmfs.ser.aquaculture@noaa.gov or (727) 551-5709.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf may call the Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
Federal Register Notices
Notice of Intent to Prepare PEIS (87 FR 33124, 2022)
Notice of Availability (Coming soon!)
