In 2023, the U.S. seafood trade deficit reached $20.3 billion (USDA, 2024). To meet rising demand for fisheries products and strengthen domestic food security, the federal government has prioritized expanding U.S. seafood production and reducing this deficit, with aquaculture identified as a key strategy. The United States possesses the world’s largest Exclusive Economic Zone, offering diverse habitats and species suitable for both wild harvest and offshore aquaculture. Southern New England, in particular, provides optimal conditions for offshore mussel farming and proximity to major seafood markets and ports, enabling efficient logistics and distribution. Mussels are widely consumed, affordable across socioeconomic groups, and well-positioned to meet this demand. Yet, this opportunity remains unrealized, with less than 25% of mussels consumed in the U.S. produced domestically, and no commercial-scale federal waters aquaculture operations currently supplying mussels. In 2023 alone, the U.S. imported approximately 24 million pounds of mussels from Canada- trucked to U.S. markets along routes adjacent to some of the best waters for U.S. mussel aquaculture. Newport Mussels seeks to change that. With siting support from NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and comprised of a team with decades of expertise in offshore commercial fishing, shellfish aquaculture, aquaculture engineering, shellfish sanitation, communications, finance, and aquaculture permitting and policy, Newport Mussels proposes to construct and operate a 2,340-acre mussel farm located ~17.5 nautical miles southeast of Newport, Rhode Island. Employing globally proven production methods, the farm aims to produce over 9 million pounds of mussels annually, equivalent to one-third of 2023 U.S. mussel imports. This presentation highlights the partnerships, planning, siting, permitting, and stakeholder engagement involved in establishing the first commercial-scale mussel farm in federal waters off the U.S. East Coast.