West Coast Region Southern California Aquaculture Opportunity Area
On May 7, 2020, the White House issued an Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth (EO 13921), which requires the Secretary of Commerce to identify geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aqua
National Overview
On May 7, 2020, the White House issued an Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth (E.O. 13921), which directs the Secretary of Commerce to identify geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture. The purpose of the proposed action is to apply a science-based approach to identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in Federal waters. An AOA is a defined geographic area that has been evaluated to determine its potential suitability for commercial aquaculture. The goal of identifying AOAs is to promote American seafood competitiveness, food security, economic growth, and support facilitation of the development of domestic commercial aquaculture, consistent with sustaining and conserving marine resources and applicable laws, regulations and policies.
For more information on AOAs, please visit the Office of Aquaculture’s National AOA page or the National AOA Fact Sheet.
West Coast Region Overview
Following the E.O. 13921, Southern California was selected as one of the first two regions to identify one or more AOAs. The identification of AOAs in a geographic area is a planning action and does not include any activity that would require a permit or authorization. The proposed action does not create any new regulatory framework or change any existing statutory authority related to offshore marine aquaculture.
The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) initiated a marine spatial planning process to assist agency decision-makers in identifying areas that may be suitable for locating AOAs, as mandated by E.O. 13921. This process was based on 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). Published in 2021, the resulting Atlas includes peer-reviewed technical information that may be used to assist agency decision makers in identifying areas that may be suitable for AOAs in Federal waters of the Southern California Bight.
The West Coast Region (WCR) proposes to identify geographically discrete areas within Federal waters off the coast of Southern California that would be suitable to site future aquaculture development. As called for under the National Environmental Policy Act process, a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) will analyze potential impacts to the human environment that may occur should aquaculture projects be proposed in one or more AOAs.
On May 23, 2022, NOAA Fisheries published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register announcing the preparation of the Southern California AOA Draft PEIS. The NOI initiated a 60-day public comment period, during which NOAA requested comments concerning the scope of the proposed action to identify AOAs in Federal waters of Southern California. The public comment period lasted from May 23, 2022, to July 22, 2022. For a high-level overview of the public input received during this period, view our Public Scoping Report.
During the public scoping process for the NOI, NOAA asked for stakeholder input on the proposed action and preliminary alternatives, along with other topics related to offshore marine aquaculture and resources in Southern California—including, but not limited to, the risks, benefits, capacity, species and gear types, as well as long-term visions for offshore aquaculture development in the region. Comments received during the NOI public comment period played a key role in helping WCR determine the scope, scale, and capacity of the alternatives and analysis within the Draft PEIS.
On November 15, 2024, NOAA Fisheries posted the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) for the Identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in Federal Waters of Southern California. The corresponding Federal Register notice will be published on November 22, 2024, initiating a 90-day public comment period, during which NOAA is requesting comments concerning the scope and content of the DPEIS. Comments must be received no later than February 20, 2025.
Public Comment Opportunity
The public may provide written and/or oral comments on the DPEIS. Comments may be submitted to NOAA Fisheries during the public-comment period using any of the following methods:
- Email at socalaoa.wcr@noaa.gov
- Search for “NOAA-NMFS-2022-0051” at www.regulations.gov and click “Comment Now”
Mail the comment coordinator:
Celia Barroso
Regional Aquaculture Coordinator, California
National Marine Fisheries Service
West Coast Region
501 W. Ocean Blvd., Ste. 4200
Long Beach, CA 90802- Attend a public listening session hosted by NOAA’s Aquaculture Program and submit an oral comment on:
- January 23, 2025 from 1-3 p.m. Pacific Time via this registration link.
- January 28, 2025 from 5-7 p.m. Pacific Time via this registration link.
Comments must be received no later than February 20, 2025.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The Federal action proposed in the DPEIS is to identify one or more AOAs that may be suitable for multiple future offshore aquaculture projects in Federal waters of the Southern California Bight (outside of state waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone), and to evaluate the impacts of siting aquaculture in those locations. AOAs identified through this process could be considered potentially suitable for finfish, shellfish, macroalgae, or multi-species aquaculture. The proposed action is a long-term planning effort. It is not a regulatory or permitting action and does not propose to authorize or permit any specific aquaculture-related activities or individual aquaculture projects. The analysis may be used to inform such processes for individual projects proposed later in time. Offshore aquaculture development of any kind could still occur outside of or within the AOA options in federal waters.
NOAA Fisheries considered a range of alternatives during the Draft PEIS development process that were identified through coordination with cooperating and participating agencies and through public comments received during the public scoping period for the PEIS. The Draft PEIS evaluates the No Action Alternative (Alternative 1) and three action alternatives, each with sub-alternatives. Action alternatives are geographically-based; and the sub-alternatives are based on the types of aquaculture that could be sited in an identified AOA.
In Alternative 2, NOAA Fisheries would identify at least one and up to eight AOAs from within Federal waters offshore of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties in the Santa Barbara Channel (Figure 1). In Alternative 3, NOAA Fisheries would identify at least one and up to two AOAs from within Federal waters offshore of Los Angeles County in Santa Monica Bay (Figure 2). In Alternative 4, NOAA Fisheries would identify up to 10 total AOAs from within the boundaries of either Alternative area, and a maximum area to be determined by NOAA Fisheries with input from the public (Figure 3). The two sub-alternatives within each Alternative 2 through 4 analyzed: (a) the potential impacts of macroalgae and shellfish aquaculture only, and(b) analyzed the potential impacts of all types of commercial aquaculture, including macroalgae, shellfish, finfish, and Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA).
Alternative 2: Santa Barbara Channel
Alternative 3: Santa Monica Bay
Alternative 4: Combined Geographic Areas
