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December 5, 2024 

Attend a Public Listening Session on Aquaculture Opportunity Areas

As part of NOAA’s mission to foster ocean sustainability while facilitating domestic aquaculture growth, NOAA is working to identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas. These areas were evaluated for their potential environmental, economic, and social suitability to support multiple commercial aquaculture operations. This process is rooted in science and public engagement that will help the U.S. plan for aquaculture development.

NOAA recently released two draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements for Southern California and the Gulf of Mexico that bring us one step closer to identifying Aquaculture Opportunity Areas. Both draft documents are open for public comment. 

Comment on the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Southern California 

• Public comments can be submitted online from November 22, 2024 through February 20, 2025.
• Attend a public listening session hosted by NOAA’s Aquaculture Program 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.

Comment on the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Gulf of Mexico

• Public comments can be submitted online from November 22, 2024 through February 20, 2025.
• Attend a public listening session hosted by NOAA’s Aquaculture Program on: 
  • December 17, 2024, 6:30-8:30 pm Central Time via this registration link. 
  • January 15, 2025, 3:30-5:30 pm Central Time via this registration link. 

  • February 13, 2025, 6:30-8:30 pm Central Time via this registration link. 

Learn More About the Open Comment Period on the NOAA Fisheries Website