The "Removing and Sequestering Carbon Unleashed in the Environment and Oceans Act," or ReSCUE Oceans Act, establishes a comprehensive federal program to advance marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) technologies. Its core purposes include supporting safe and responsible mCDR research, development, and field trials, alongside robust monitoring and protection of coastal and marine ecosystems. The Act also emphasizes coordinating Federal actions and ensuring meaningful engagement with affected coastal communities, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

Under Title I, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will establish a program to advance mCDR science, integrating traditional ecological knowledge. This program aims to evaluate mCDR efficacy, environmental responses, and social, cultural, and economic impacts. It will also develop best practices for measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verifying mCDR, and establish methodologies for defining actionable thresholds for environmental impacts. The program will assess and recommend safe and effective mCDR approaches for climate mitigation, considering all potential outcomes.

NOAA's program will focus on various mCDR approaches, including ocean alkalinity enhancement, electrochemical engineering, macroalgae cultivation, and carbon storage in coastal ecosystems. Competitive grants will be awarded for research, with a mandatory code of conduct for grantees and dedicated funding for engagement with Indigenous groups and coastal communities. The Act requires robust monitoring for field activities and the development of data management strategies, ensuring non-proprietary data is accessible while protecting Tribal data.

NOAA is authorized to designate or establish research areas for mCDR, facilitating basic and applied science, coordinated permitting, and long-term community engagement. A crucial interagency working group, comprising numerous federal agencies, will be established to coordinate federal efforts. This group will create a Federal research plan and a comprehensive code of conduct for mCDR research, mandating open data, public disclosure of funding, stakeholder input, and detailed mitigation plans.

Beyond NOAA, the bill outlines specific roles for other federal entities. The National Science Foundation (NSF) will award grants for fundamental mCDR research and workforce development. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will leverage its capabilities to enhance monitoring and modeling programs for understanding mCDR efficacy from space. Finally, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will lead an initiative to develop and standardize benchmark materials, measurements, and models to validate mCDR performance and promote global adoption of these standards.