Under Congressional direction, and in partnership with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC), NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Aquaculture provided funds for the development of an Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) demonstration project in state waters of the Gulf of America. In 2021, the GSMFC Aquaculture Program distributed a request for proposals for the development of a demonstration-scale IMTA in the Gulf, with guidance that the project culture native species of marine finfish, bivalve mollusks, and macroalgae and focus on research, training, and education involving students, fishermen, and farmers. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab was selected to implement this multi-year project, demonstrating IMTA in an environmentally and ecologically balanced manner, in a warm water environment. Informed by siting analysis conducted by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, a site in state waters of Alabama was selected for the project’s deployment.
Among the outreach and education goals of the IMTA project is the demonstration of the permitting process. This project, which is novel in the Gulf, required various state and federal agency reviews, consultations, permits, and approvals. This presentation will discuss how proactive interagency coordination and effective project management led to efficiencies in navigating the permitting process. Early engagement, through interagency pre-application meetings, helped agencies understand the project and clarify their regulatory roles for the applicant. Technical assistance from agency staff helped ensure complete project plans and applications, creating efficiencies in the application review and consultation processes. Throughout the permitting process, a NMFS Regional Aquaculture Coordinator provided guidance to the Project Manager, offering forward-looking support and anticipating next steps. This efficient and proactive approach to navigating the permitting process can serve as a valuable model for future novel aquaculture research and demonstration projects.