MARA Act of 2025

This bill grows U.S. offshore aquaculture (farming seafood in federal waters) while putting safety and the environment first. It creates a new Office of Aquaculture at NOAA to coordinate research, permits, and outreach, and to keep experts in each region working with local communities and tribes . Within 180 days, NOAA must launch an assessment program and test commercial‑scale projects to learn what works in rough ocean conditions, how to prevent escapes, harm to wildlife, pollution, and navigation risks, and how to monitor operations with reliable data . Projects need permits and must use native or long‑naturalized species, minimize escapes and entanglement, follow major environmental laws, and partner with universities or Sea Grant programs; permits last 10 years and can be renewed, with a 90‑day decision timeline after public comment . Operators must report production, environmental impacts, and safety issues each year, with emergency reporting for protected species . NOAA can modify or end a project that causes serious harm or violates key wildlife laws, and it will lead a single, consolidated environmental review to streamline oversight .

The bill also invests in people and places. It funds Aquaculture Centers of Excellence at colleges to build courses, training, and community programs, authorizing $25 million each year from 2026 to 2030 . It creates waterfront preservation grants to help fishing, aquaculture, for‑hire fishing, and boatbuilding in coastal states, with cost‑sharing and a $20 million yearly authorization from 2026 to 2030; eminent domain is not allowed for these projects . NOAA will do public outreach on sustainable practices and support marketing, workforce training, regional networks, and a national aquaculture database . Independent studies will inform future rules: the National Academies will deliver science‑based guidance within five years of the program’s start, and the Government Accountability Office will review permitting, safety, equity impacts, and economic outcomes to recommend improvements . The bill also directs agencies to consider cumulative pollution and community vulnerability when weighing health and environmental impacts .

Key points

• Who is affected: Coastal communities; commercial and for‑hire fishers; aquaculture businesses; boatbuilders; students and colleges; Tribal and Indigenous communities; and nearby ocean users .
• What changes: New NOAA office; test projects with strict safeguards and reporting; streamlined, time‑bound permitting; grants for colleges, workforce, marketing, and working waterfronts; public outreach; and independent studies to guide future rules .
• When: Assessment program within 180 days; college grant program within 1 year; grants authorized FY 2026–2030; permits issued after public comment with 90‑day decisions; permits last 10 years with possible renewal; National Academies study due within 5 years of program launch .