A GIS based tool for the sustainable development of offshore aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico

Offshore marine aquaculture is developing rapidly all over the world. The United States is now faced with the opportunity to transition from environmentally questionable coastal aquaculture to the potentially sustainable future of the industry by moving offshore. In October 2007, a generic amendment was drafted that could potentially provide the regulatory framework for offshore marine aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico. This regulatory framework is largely based on the appropriate site selection of the offshore cages. Site selection is critical because the environmental sustainability, the financial feasibility and the minimization of conflicts between different users in the Gulf of Mexico depends on it. In this study, one model was designed to illustrate the potential areas to be used for aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico based on their relative suitability. This over all model was created by combining three sub models. The purpose of this study is to show how GIS can be used as an effective tool for the sustainable development of offshore aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico.