December 1, 2025 — The U.S. government has identified 13 locations in federal waters off California and Texas as potential sites to farm seafood and other aquaculture products.
The agency leading this effort is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through its National Marine Fisheries Service. The latter manages over 4 million square miles of ocean in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and has jurisdiction over 163 endangered and threatened marine species.
Among the core functions of the National Fisheries is to oversee sustainable fisheries, while promoting healthy ecosystems and safe seafood.
“Americans eat roughly $15 billion in seafood farmed and imported from foreign countries, where labor and environmental standards often fall short of America’s rigorous standards. By expanding domestic aquaculture to complement wild-harvest fisheries, NOAA is driving an America-first approach that creates jobs, supports coastal communities and ensures high-quality, homegrown seafood for American families,” NOAA noted in a September statement.