The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) yesterday announced its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Pacific Ocean AquaFarms facility off the coast of San Diego, CA, bringing this risky project one step closer to reality. This announcement follows the agency’s recent decision to designate federal waters in Southern California and the Gulf of Mexico as Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs), a move toward pre-approval of these AOAs for aquaculture development with little review or oversight.