Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2025

Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2025 amends the Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 to formalize and expand NOAA’s collaboration with State and local governments, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. The bill requires an ongoing mechanism for input from affected industries, coastal stakeholders, Indigenous groups, and non-federal resource managers to guide research, data collection, and monitoring related to ocean acidification (OA) and coastal acidification (CA). It also strengthens tribal engagement by adding tribal representation to the OA/CA advisory framework, establishing a policy for engagement with Indian Tribes, and directing collaboration with tribal and Indigenous entities on vulnerability assessments and planning. The act emphasizes prioritizing underserved communities and incorporates these collaboration efforts into NOAA’s strategic planning and program activities. In short, the bill seeks to make OA/CA research and related decision-making more collaborative and community-based, with a stronger emphasis on tribal and Indigenous participation, vulnerability assessments at the community level, and the use of existing regional efforts and plans to inform national actions.