A GEOSPATIAL DECISION SUPPORT TOOL FOR AQUACULTURE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

Planning for offshore aquaculture operations in the Gulf of Mexico requires careful spatial and temporal consideration given the diversity of coastal communities, shared natural resources, and multiple ecosystem services provided in the region. Numerous variables must be accounted for in the planning process as regulations support aquaculture development in federal waters. The Gulf AquaMapper Project was conceived working with partners throughout the Gulf region to provide planning and siting guidance for aquaculture development. Because of the growing complexity of environmental analyses and the high cost of data acquisition, the Gulf AquaMapper was developed to gather all coastal and environmental intelligence that could be used in planning, scoping, and authorizing ocean use to allow for aquaculture development. The Gulf AquaMapper provides visualization of data including high resolution bathymetry and digital terrain models, three-dimensional oceanographic circulation models, seafloor biological habitats, living marine resources (menhaden, shrimp, snapper), economic activity (fishing, shipping and navigation, energy production), environmental quality (dissolved oxygen, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms), and political boundaries and maritime jurisdictions. The Gulf AquaMapper was recently deployed in a permitting simulation led by the Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture Regulatory Task Force. During the simulation, "mock" sites were selected and reviewed by NOAA, EPA, Army Corps, and other agencies involved in permitting. Thresholds and criteria for site selection were chosen to exceed the minimum regulations established by the NMFS Gulf Aquaculture Permit, maximize business and commercial opportunity, and to minimize conflict with other stakeholders and ocean use groups. The Gulf AquaMapper proved useful for screening and mapping offshore sites to assess the commercial aquaculture potential and to minimize conflicting use and adverse environmental impact.