The Ocean Acidification Research Partnerships Act establishes a federal grant program to fund collaborative research projects on ocean acidification that bring together the seafood industry—including shellfish growers, commercial fishermen, and related businesses—with academic researchers and scientists. The bill requires that funded projects develop genuine partnerships between these two communities, incorporate seafood industry expertise and priorities into research design, and produce findings that benefit both groups while improving understanding of ocean acidification impacts. Projects will be prioritized if they focus on vulnerable ecosystems and communities, include support from local stakeholders and tribes, or use fishing assets as research platforms. The legislation authorizes $5 million per year in federal funding from 2026 through 2030 and requires non-federal partners to contribute at least 15 percent of project costs, though the Secretary can waive this requirement in certain circumstances. The Secretary must issue detailed implementation guidelines within six months of the bill's enactment.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.