DEER ISLAND—Federal lawmakers are considering a bill that could reshape how seafood is farmed in the United States,and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, oyster growers are already showing what that future could look like.

The Marine Aquaculture Research for America Act would strengthen U.S. aquaculture by funding a large-scale demonstration fish farm and streamlining the federal permitting process. In a Dec. 2 letter, more than 150 seafood businesses, researchers and nonprofit leaders urged Congress to pass the bill, saying it is needed to help the industry grow and compete globally.

“We must grow more of our own seafood here at home, using modern tools and technologies that protect ocean health and support coastal economies,” the letter said. “The United States imports the majority of o

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