MARA Act of 2025

This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create an assessment program for commercial-scale offshore aquaculture through demonstration projects, establish Aquaculture Centers of Excellence, and support workforce development and working waterfronts. It also requires studies and reports on offshore aquaculture's environmental and regulatory viability.

Sec. 3, Definitions: Defines key terms used in the bill, including "Administration" (NOAA), "Administrator" (NOAA Administrator), "aquaculture" (propagation or rearing of cultured species, excluding capture of juvenile finfish for rearing or release for wild population enhancement), and "aquaculture stakeholder" (owners/operators of offshore facilities, Regional Fishery Management Councils, interstate fisheries commissions, conservation organizations, fisheries associations, state/county governments, Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations/communities, and Tribal/Indigenous communities).

Title I, Office of Aquaculture: Establishes an Office of Aquaculture within NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service headquarters. The Administrator must provide sufficient resources and place at least one regional aquaculture coordinator in each regional fisheries office. The Office coordinates implementation of the Act, including the assessment program and permits, and handles regulatory, scientific, outreach, and international aquaculture issues.

Title II, Commercial-Scale Demonstration Projects: Requires the Administrator to establish an assessment program within 180 days to evaluate offshore aquaculture viability using best science and stakeholder input. The program examines facility designs' ability to withstand weather, prevent wildlife impacts (e.g., entanglements of protected species), avoid environmental harm, and ensure navigation safety. Permits for demonstration projects are issued after program establishment, requiring native species, minimal escape/wildlife/pollution risks, compliance with environmental laws (Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, National Environmental Policy Act), and compatibility with existing ocean uses. NOAA leads permit coordination, consolidates environmental reviews, and facilitates informal consultations with agencies like the Department of Agriculture, EPA, Army Corps, Coast Guard, and Defense. Permit holders must report annually on production, wildlife interactions, technology, environmental impacts, and demographic/economic data. Technical assistance is provided. Permits do not replace other federal/state authorizations, and the title does not apply to permits in process or in effect on enactment.

Title III, Workforce Development, Financing, and Other Support: Directs the Administrator to support offshore aquaculture development, including marketing/promotion grants and workforce development grants for education/training. Regional networks of experts and businesses are organized through NOAA fisheries offices. Aquaculture Centers of Excellence are established via grants to minority-serving institutions, Native Hawaiian/Alaska Native-serving institutions, historically Black colleges/universities, and Tribal colleges/universities to create or enhance aquaculture curricula. The Secretary of Commerce awards competitive grants for working waterfronts supporting commercial fishing, aquaculture, for-hire recreational fishing, or boatbuilding, considering economic significance, waterfront access, utility, business plans, and impacts on existing uses. The Administrator conducts outreach on sustainable offshore aquaculture to the public, community leaders, officials, businesses, academia, and nonprofits.

Title IV, Studies and Reports: Requires the Administrator to contract with the Ocean Studies Board of the National Academies to complete a study within 5 years on the scientific basis for regulating offshore aquaculture, covering optimal operations, feed definitions, adverse effects (e.g., antibiotics, pollution), and other elements. The Government Accountability Office must submit a report within 5 years examining permitting, monitoring, and regulation over the prior 15 years, assessing lead agency feasibility, lessons learned on project success, state/Tribal involvement, safety protocols, and incentives to reduce adverse effects.