Marine spatial planning and best siting practices to achieve an ecosystem approach to aquaculture in the United States

Marine aquaculture, defined here as aquaculture that takes place in coastal, nearshore, and offshore environments, has great potential for sustainable development in the United States. While the United States’ exclusive economic zone supports many ocean uses and socioecological systems, an ecosystem siting and management approach is imperative for aquaculture to develop sustainably. An ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA) is a broadly recognized strategy for developing aquaculture with minimal disruption to other ocean uses and environmental attributes. An ecosystem is defined here as the totality of environmental and human dimensions in which an aquaculture operation can interact. The United States can achieve an EAA by adhering to a suite of marine spatial planning techniques that are adaptive to scale, carrying capacity, and stakeholder preferences. In this paper, we discuss how the United States can better utilize marine spatial planning protocols to develop an EAA and grow the aquaculture industry with optimal efficacy. Ultimately, this paper is intended to serve as a blueprint for implementing an EAA for marine aquaculture in the United States. We first review the state of marine aquaculture within the United States, including state and federal regulatory frameworks and then discuss the principles of EAA and tools of marine spatial planning, including analyses that are pertinent to the scale of planning and for assessing carrying capacity. We conclude with a discussion on how marine spatial planning can lead to the successful implementation of an EAA.