Sustainable Marine Aquaculture in the Southern California Bight

A Case Study on Environmental and Regulatory Confidence

Aquaculture is an increasingly integral source of seafood in the marketplace, providing more than half of seafood imports that comprise more than 90 percent of domestic U.S. seafood consumption. The offshore waters of the Southern California Bight (SCB) U.S. have extraordinary potential for development of marine aquaculture. This project will:

1. Conduct a stakeholder workshop to evaluate the current status of offshore marine aquaculture in the region and inform environmental modeling;
2. Use multiple modeling platforms to assess the environmental response to establishment of offshore fish farm operations
3. Host a stakeholder workshop to report results
4. Prepare communication tools to convey the outcomes of the Southern California Aquaculture Forum and the resulting recommendations.

The results of this project will contribute significantly to the spatial planning efforts underway for the SCB; and the interactive tools and data produced will ensure that a full range of marine aquaculture uses and complimentary activities are included in regional marine spatial plans. A well-defined and phased communications plan will help coastal managers and stakeholders make timely and confident decisions about making space for marine aquaculture in the coastal ocean.

Attachments