Marine Ecologist on How NOAA Atlases Demonstrate Sustainable U.S. Aquaculture with Most Scientific Data to Date
Over the past few months, there have been two federal developments in the advancement of offshore aquaculture.
On December 14, Reps. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Ed Case (D-HI) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House to the AQUAA Act, which was introduced in the U.S. Senate in October. The bipartisan bill would pave the way for increased production of sustainable seafood through the raising of fish in federal waters, (creating new jobs in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way) and helping to address climate concerns. Learn more about the bill here.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also released two Atlases last month that identify 19 areas in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida and California waters as Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs). The Atlases are compiled from the most scientific and geospatial research to date and take into consideration all relevant environmental, economic and national security factors.
Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) interviewed Dr. Kenneth Riley, a marine ecologist with NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, to learn more about the significance of the Atlases and how AOAs ensure sustainable aquaculture.
What are Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) and what is the significance of the two Atlases that were released?
An Aquaculture Opportunity Area (AOA) is a small defined geographic area that has been evaluated to determine its potential suitability for commercial aquaculture in a variety of forms including algae, shellfish, and finfish. The increasing demand for U.S.-grown seafood and improved technology to farm in the open ocean provides incentive for aquaculture expansion. A recent step toward domestic aquaculture development was the Presidential Executive Order Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth issued in May 2020, which designated NOAA as the lead agency to support the identification of 10 AOA’s over the next five years in various regions of the United States.
To support the first round of this initiative, NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) recently published two aquaculture Atlases that identify 19 small areas (500 to 2,000 acres), or “options”, that may be suitable for marine aquaculture across the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Southern California Bight. The two Atlases are intended to inform agency decision-makers of areas in the federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Southern California that may be most suitable to support three to five marine aquaculture operations. These Atlases incorporate a scientific approach that combines broad stakeholder engagement, extensive spatial data analysis and the best available science to identify areas in both regions that have the highest consideration for resource conservation and least amount of conflict with other ocean uses. These Atlases are powerful tools that will help to inform the identification of AOAs in both regions.
How were the Atlases developed? Why are these a first of their kind in terms of scientific data?
The Atlases were developed by NCCOS in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, and in coordination with other federal agencies, regional fishery management bodies, state governments, tribal authorities, and stakeholders. Data and information were gathered from national and regional public listening sessions across multiple ocean industries and environmental sectors. The acquisition of high-resolution spatial data or “ocean intelligence” was a key factor in the success of spatial planning for AOAs. We credit this success to re-imagining stakeholder engagement using online virtual meeting platforms to build trust and connect with stakeholders.
We developed a new framework for siting aquaculture that demonstrates the power of spatial analytics with large datasets. As a result, the Atlases published represent the most comprehensive marine spatial planning ever conducted for two distinct regions of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. The spatial modeling approach was specific to the planning goal of identifying small discrete areas - ranging from 500 to 2,000 acres - that met the industry and engineering requirements of depth and distance from shore and are the most suitable for all types of aquaculture development including the cultivation of finfish, macroalgae, shellfish, or a combination of species. Over 200 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), etc., were included in the analysis for each region.
By developing a robust, science-based framework to collect data, analyze, model, and characterize the AOA options for each region, we created a repeatable process that can be used for future aquaculture Atlases and can be harnessed to produce Atlases for other pioneering ocean industries.
How do the Atlases support growth of the offshore aquaculture industry?
A critical element needed by coastal resource managers and stakeholders is awareness and confidence in geospatial analytical tools and science to inform regulation, protect the environment, and equitably resolve points of resistance to aquaculture industry development. The robust spatial analyses presented in the Atlases provide supporting intelligence, developed for the specific purpose of identifying areas that have the highest potential to support three to five marine aquaculture operations and least amount of conflict with other ocean uses.
The extensive data used in the models account for key environmental, economic, social, and cultural considerations to identify appropriate space for sustainable aquaculture and to support efficient permitting. Much of the spatial information provided in the Atlases could also be useful to the aquaculture industry and coastal managers in early consideration for siting individual aquaculture projects; however caution should be exercised when using the atlas for purposes other than planning for AOAs. The Atlases do contain valuable information to inform the early stage of planning for aquaculture and other ocean uses.
What opportunities would the expansion of aquaculture bring to communities around the AOAs?
Marine aquaculture has the potential to diversify and stabilize seafood production in the face of environmental change and economic uncertainty. Responsible and trusted aquaculture development can create U.S. jobs, reduce reliance on unsustainable imports, sustain working waterfronts, and increase domestic food security. By unleashing the power of spatial analytics, the advanced modeling technology can provide sustainable community growth opportunities for shipping and navigation, national security and military strategy, offshore energy exploration, identification of marine protected areas, and burgeoning sectors of the ocean economy. Additionally, the methods and models presented in the Atlases could significantly improve the next generation of marine spatial planning contributing support far beyond aquaculture development. These marine spatial analyses will empower industry and coastal managers to continue ocean innovation toward increased conservation, more efficient space use, and increased sustainability of our ocean ecosystems as we collectively work to support the nation’s growing Blue Economy.