NOAA Coastal Aquaculture Siting and Sustainability Program

The NOAA Coastal Aquaculture Siting and Sustainability (CASS) Program provides high quality science, guidance, and technical support to coastal managers to grow sustainable aquaculture while maintaining and improving ecosystem health.

Efforts through the CASS Program are providing needed information to regulatory, industry, and research stakeholders to make sound decisions about permitting, siting, and operating marine fish farms. Continued support of these efforts is guiding monitoring and further research toward ensuring that sustainable practices continue and in minimizing environmental effects. Discharge from marine farms and associated issues of siting such operations are among the most important environmental questions facing this industry.