Aquaculture Submerged Land Leasing

Currently, aquaculture activities on sovereignty submerged lands consist almost exclusively of growing hard clams, oysters and live rock. Sovereignty submerged lands extend 3 nautical miles seaward from shore in the Atlantic Ocean and 9 nautical miles seaward from shore in the Gulf of Mexico. A nautical mile is defined as 6,076.11549 feet.

Lease Site Suitability

FDACS has designated 26 Aquaculture Use Zones, or high-density lease areas, in 10 coastal counties: Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, Dixie, Franklin, Indian River, Lee, Levy, Volusia and Wakulla. Applicants may apply for parcels in existing Aquaculture Use Zones or propose new locations. New locations nominated will be evaluated to avoid areas with seagrass, hard bottom and shellfish reefs or beds. Shellfish aquaculture leases must be sited in Approved or Conditionally Approved Shellfish Harvesting Areas. Additional restrictions on gear or production methods may apply in endangered species critical habitat.

Application and Fees

Before you apply for a sovereignty submerged land lease, contact FDACS by calling (850) 617-7600 or emailing Denise.Walsh@FDACS.gov. To apply for a lease:

• Review the application guidelines [ 2.5 MB ] .
• Complete the lease application.

In addition, you must apply for an Aquaculture Certificate of Registration. As a leaseholder, you are agreeing to comply with Aquaculture Best Management Practices [ 714.5 kB ] . 

Comprehensive Review

When the lease application is received for a new parcel, it will undergo a comprehensive review, which may take six months or more. As part of the review process, FDACS staff will conduct a resource survey to determine whether the site is appropriate for leasing. If the site is determined to meet the requirements of 18-21, Florida Administrative Code, the application is publicly noticed in the newspaper and the application undergoes comprehensive review by multiple agencies. Finally, any lease of state-owned submerged lands must be authorized by the Governor and Cabinet in their role as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund.

Franklin County Oyster Applicant Workshop Materials

Materials from the March 4-5, 2020, Franklin County oyster aquaculture lease applicant workshops are now available on the University of Florida’s shellfish aquaculture website. The agenda, handouts and copies of all presentations are on the website. Videos of the presentations are available on the site’s video page and on YouTube.

Lease Rental Fees

Lease Markers

A lettered sign measuring 3 feet by 3 feet is required to mark specific points in Aquaculture Use Zones and individual lease parcels, generally the corners and points along the perimeter. Corners not requiring this type of marker should be marked with a PVC post with the geographic position of the post relative to its position on the lease and the parcel number or lease number in 2-inch black block characters. See the Lease Marker Example pdf in the program resources column on the right for example graphics. 

Audits

Each January, aquaculture leaseholders are mailed an audit form (Shellfish Audit[ ] or Live Rock Audit[ ], whichever is appropriate) to complete.

Aquaculture Lease Parcel Availability Maps

Aquaculture Lease Parcel Availability Maps identify existing parcels currently available for leasing. Maps are current as of the date generated, but parcel availability can change frequently. For up-to-date availability, please call (850) 617-7600 or email Denise.Walsh@FDACS.gov.

Select the map below to view a full-size map with links:

Aquaculture Use Zones