Mapping Aquaculture in the Gulf of Maine
Aquaculture can grow 100,000 mt of food in 20 sq miles. The Gulf of Maine, at 69,115 sq miles, offers a huge opportunity for aquaculture production. But the Gulf of Maine is already a crowded place. The path of least resistance for aquauclture will be to find the "free" space - locations where there will be little conflict. We do this by mapping the co-occurrence of competing users. In the Gulf of Maine, three main users of space include shipping, fishing, and large pelagic animals (whales and turtles). The maps below are from the final report, and the published paper can be downloaded as well.
toolS for marine aquaculture siting and permitting
Here are two tools to help develop oyster farms in Massachusetts.
- The first is MA-ShellfAST (Massachusetts Shellfish Aquaculture Siting Tool). This is a siting tool where growers can figure out lease boundaries and relevant rules in the waters where they grow. This project was developed in collaboration with Diane Murphy (Cape Cod Cooperative Extension), Read Porter (Roger Williams University), and Rebecca Kihslinger (Environmental Law Institute), and spectacular GIS skills by Brooke Wikgren (New England Aquarium). The tool can be found here.
- The second is Massachusetts Aquaculture Permitting. This tool helps growers navigate the regulatory waters. The regulatory process was not clear, and my graduate student Sean McNally worked to create order out of the chaos. This project was created with funding from a NOAA/ ASMFC, and in collaboration with MA DMF. You can see the tool here.
Increasing Northeast U.S. Marine Aquaculture Production by Pre-permitting Federal Ocean Space
We aim to simplify the process and reduce the cost of obtaining permits to farm marine species in U.S. waters. Working with Hauke Kite-Powell (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), the project will conduct reviews on fisheries, protected species, shipping industry, on selected offshore areas in advance, to reduce the regulatory burden for aquaculture growers.
“The permitting process for aquaculture in federal waters can be onerous and complex,” said Kite-Powell. “Our approach is to work with major stakeholders, including the aquaculture industry, the federal and state permitting agencies, and the fishing/shipping/protected species communities, to identify suitable areas in federal waters off New England, and identify a range of aquaculture gear types and native species for which they can be pre-permitted. With the pre-permitting process for these areas completed, we will establish a mechanism for aquaculture ventures to gain access and begin production.”
“The permitting process for aquaculture in federal waters can be onerous and complex,” said Kite-Powell. “Our approach is to work with major stakeholders, including the aquaculture industry, the federal and state permitting agencies, and the fishing/shipping/protected species communities, to identify suitable areas in federal waters off New England, and identify a range of aquaculture gear types and native species for which they can be pre-permitted. With the pre-permitting process for these areas completed, we will establish a mechanism for aquaculture ventures to gain access and begin production.”