August 13, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is soliciting public recommendations on where it should establish aquaculture opportunity areas (AOA) in the country as it begins considering a wider swath of regions.
AOAs are a carry over priority from U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term, when he directed NOAA Fisheries to identify areas that would be a good fit for developing commercial aquaculture operations.
August 10, 2026 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is asking for feedback on identifying areas that may be suitable for commercial aquaculture operations in U.S. waters.
The agency is requesting relevant information on where it should consider future aquaculture opportunity areas, or AOA, which are defined geographic areas that have been evaluated for their potential suitability for commercial aquaculture, according to NOAA officials.
“The AOA identification process takes into account the potential environmental, economic, and social impacts of identifying AOAs and siting aquaculture in those locations drawing from extensive scientific review and analysis,” according to a NOAA release.
“Public input is critical to this process.” The public may submit comments through Sept. 14 in the Federal Register via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal and type NOAA-NMFS-2026-2179 in the search box.