Identifying Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) is a tremendous undertaking that requires coordination and collaboration among many experts and input from many diverse stakeholders. In 2025, NOAA completed identification of ten AOAs (totaling 16,500 acres) in the southern California Bight, and three AOAs in the Gulf of America (totaling 4,500 acres). This multi-year process represents the most significant effort to support offshore aquaculture development in the U.S. to date. Science-based decision making was a foundation for identifying these AOAs, and continues to be as NOAA works to identify its next set of AOAs in the state waters of Alaska.
This talk will describe the scientific approach, collaborations, and products developed for identification of the 13 AOAs in California and the Gulf, as well as the approach, collaborations, and anticipated products for identifying AOAs in Alaska state waters. The collaborative science-based approach for identifying AOAs is part of the broader science for management and science for industry approach employed by the NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture to ensure that its work is both robust and relevant to aquaculture stakeholders.