Wild Species Analysis in Support of Marine Aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern California Bight

This document explores potential overlap between wild species and the areas under evaluation as potential Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern California Bight (hereafter: “AOA study areas”). The paper uses NOAA’s fishery-independent trawl survey data (data collected by sampling wild populations) in conjunction with geospatial data layers for the AOA study areas to determine if there is potential overlap.