GULF AQUAMAPPER: INTERACTIVE GIS MAPPING TOOL VISUALIZES DATA TO HELP COASTAL MANAGERS AND INDUSTRY SITE OFFSHORE AQUACULTURE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

NOAA's National Ocean Service recently launched the Gulf AquaMapper to aid coastal managers and industry in siting aquaculture operations in the Gulf of Mexico.  The Gulf AquaMapper makes it easy to turn complex data sets into easily understood visualizations of the coastal ocean environment. Screening and siting analyses are crucial for ensuring sustainable aquaculture development. Improper siting can lead to inefficient operations, conflict among ocean users, and even catastrophic losses in crops and investment. Site selection for aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico is complex due to multiple fisheries, a large oil and gas industry, a high number of ecologically important habitats, many cultural resources, high frequency of extreme storm events, and multiple factors affecting water quality, such as a seasonal hypoxic zone and regularly occurring harmful algae blooms. The first step for identifying potential development areas is to map existing infrastructure, regulatory boundaries, the oceanographic, biogeochemical, and socio-economic profiles.  The Gulf AquaMapper provides a unique visual experience through the online map viewer, which consolidates information from surveys and scientific expeditions, monitoring reports, environmental models, and map data from resource agencies.  The Gulf AquaMapper allows visualization of a large number of data types such as bathymetric data, ocean currents and sea state, regulated areas, sensitive biological habitats, economic activity (shipping and navigation, energy production), environmental quality (dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a), and political boundaries and maritime jurisdictions. The Gulf AquaMapper provides an interactive digital platform for viewing and processing layers of data.  Users can make timely and confident planning and siting decisions by easily analyzing and relating complex geospatial data sets.