NOAA Sea Grant Locks In $94M for Coastal and Aquaculture Research in 2026

NOAA's Sea Grant program enters 2026 with $94 million in stable federal funding — $80 million for core programs and $14 million earmarked for aquaculture — after Congress signed a full-year spending bill in January that rejected proposed cuts to ocean and coastal research.

The funding matches FY2024 levels, preserving a program that delivered $1.59 billion in economic impact from a $94 million federal investment, according to Alaska Sea Grant. That 17-to-1 return makes Sea Grant one of the highest-leverage research programs in the federal portfolio.

What Survived the Budget Fight

The FY2026 spending package did more than protect Sea Grant. It preserved level funding across several related NOAA programs that collectively support coastal research infrastructure:

• Coastal Zone Management Grants — maintained at prior-year levels
• National Marine Sanctuaries — funding preserved
• NOAA Coastal Resilience Grants — up to $100 million available for habitat restoration and community resilience under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

The bill also removed provisions that would have mandated new offshore drilling in protected areas — a win for researchers working on marine ecosystem health and coastal habitat studies.

Four Priority Areas for 2026

Sea Grant's 34 programs across coastal and Great Lakes states fund research, extension, and education in four focus areas: Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies, and Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development.

The $14 million aquaculture set-aside reflects sustained federal interest in domestic seafood production — a priority that has held steady across administrations. New York already announced a $200,000 competitive grant for projects benefiting the state's Great Lakes basin, signaling that state-level Sea Grant programs are moving quickly to deploy 2026 funds.

How to Access Sea Grant Funding

Individual Sea Grant programs issue their own competitive solicitations, so opportunities vary by state. Researchers and coastal organizations should check their regional Sea Grant program for current calls. The National Strategic Investments track funds larger, cross-program initiatives.

For those navigating multiple federal and state coastal funding streams, Granted can help match projects to the right Sea Grant program alongside other NOAA and EPA opportunities that share similar eligibility requirements.