The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a Notice of Intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) for shellfish and seaweed aquaculture in Alaska state waters of the Gulf of Alaska. The action is driven by Executive Order 13921 and does not authorize any specific aquaculture projects. Two alternatives will be analyzed: No Action and identification of one or more AOAs drawn from 77 candidate locations covering 13,031 acres across Southeast, Southcentral, and Southwest Alaska. The 45-day public scoping period closes May 28, 2026, with a draft PEIS targeted for winter 2027 and a final PEIS for spring 2028.12345