MARA Act of 2025
The Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act of 2025 (MARA Act) would create a new Office of Aquaculture within NOAA/NMFS and give it broad authority to study and regulate offshore aquaculture in the United States. The core idea is to establish a formal program of commercial-scale offshore aquaculture through demonstration projects in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ), while also building the workforce and institutional capacity needed to support a domestic offshore aquaculture industry. The bill envisions a phased approach: (1) set up an assessment program to test viability and safety, (2) issue permits for demonstration facilities under strict environmental, wildlife, and public-review standards, (3) develop Aquaculture Centers of Excellence and working waterfront grants to boost innovation and local capacity, and (4) commission independent studies and reporting to evaluate environmental, regulatory, and economic outcomes. The package is designed to expand domestic seafood production, support coastal communities and traditional fishery workers, and reduce the U.S. seafood trade deficit, all within a regulated, science-based framework. Key elements include a dedicated Office of Aquaculture, a formal offshore aquaculture assessment program tied to demonstration projects, a structured permit process with public involvement and interagency coordination, workforce and regional networking programs, and required studies and annual reporting to inform future policy and practice.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of an Office of Aquaculture within NOAA/NMFS with regional presence and clear duties to coordinate, monitor, and promote offshore aquaculture, including collaboration with Sea Grant and other research programs and ensuring resources for implementation.
- 2Creation of an assessment program for offshore aquaculture through commercial-scale demonstration projects in the EEZ, to examine facility designs, technologies, environmental impacts, wildlife interactions, and navigation impacts, using best available science and stakeholder input; a public, NAS, and GAO-supported process to report findings.
- 3A robust permit framework for demonstration projects (Section 202) requiring: uses of native or historically naturalized species; design safeguards to minimize escapes and wildlife entanglement; compliance with key environmental laws (Clean Water Act, ESA, MMPA, NEPA); partnerships with land-grant universities, historically Black colleges and universities, 1994 Institutions, or sea grant colleges; public notice and comment with protections for specially affected coastal jurisdictions; and a 10-year permit term with possible renewal, plus a structured process for modification, deferral, or denial of permits and a deemed-approval mechanism if agencies miss deadlines.
- 4Implementation of workforce development and economic support programs (Title III), including grants for marketing, education and training in offshore aquaculture, establishment of Aquaculture Centers of Excellence, regional networks of expertise, and an aquaculture database to catalog research, technologies, monitoring methods, and advisory recommendations; emphasis on regional extension, outreach, and integration with existing seafood industries.
- 5Studies and reporting requirements (Title IV) to evaluate offshore aquaculture viability and regulatory viability, with mandated studies by the National Academies and the GAO, plus ongoing reporting by demonstration-project owners on production, environment, socioeconomics, and impacts on coastal communities; emergency reporting provisions for interactions with protected species.