United States Maritime Administration

The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. MARAD administers financial programs to develop, promote, and operate the U.S. Maritime Service and the U.S. Merchant Marine. In addition, it conducts research and development activities in the maritime field; regulates the transfer of U.S. documented vessels to foreign registries; maintains equipment, shipyard facilities, and reserve fleets of Government-owned ships essential for national defense. MARAD also maintains the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) as a ready source of ships for use during national emergencies and logistically supporting the military when needed. MARAD also manages the Ready Reserve Force (RFF) and operates the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.

History When the United States Maritime Commission was abolished on May 24, 1950, its functions were split between the Federal Maritime Board which was responsible for regulating shipping and awarding subsidies for construction and operation of merchant vessels, and Maritime Administration, which was responsible for administering subsidy programs, maintaining the national defense reserve merchant fleet, and operating the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

In 1961, the Federal Maritime Board regulatory functions were assumed by the newly created Federal Maritime Commission, while the subsidy functions were assigned to the Maritime Subsidy Board of the Maritime Administration. In 1964, the US was only moving about 15% of the world's cargo and goods by sea. The Maritime Administration instituted three programs to increase U.S. ship building and make the new U.S. built hulls more efficient and carry larger payloads.

On August 6, 1981, MARAD came under control of the Department of Transportation thereby bringing all transportation programs under one cabinet-level department.

In 2026, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a new initiative to develop Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for commercial vessels, hoping to make nuclear-powered ships part of the U.S. shipping ecosystem.

Maritime Academies

The Maritime Administration collaborates with stakeholders from all transportation sectors and modes in order to accomplish its mission to improve the U.S. marine transportation system. MARAD operates one federal service academy and administers a Grant-In-Aid Program for six state-operated maritime academies: ClassificationNameLocationNotesFederalUnited States Merchant Marine AcademyKings Point, New YorkOne of the United States service academiesStateCalifornia Polytechnic State University Maritime AcademyVallejo, CaliforniaA campus of the California Polytechnic State UniversityStateMaine Maritime AcademyCastine, MaineA public post-secondary college and nautical training institution StateMassachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, MassachusettsA regionally accredited, coeducational, state college StateGreat Lakes Maritime AcademyTraverse City, MichiganA division of Northwestern Michigan CollegeStateSUNY Maritime CollegeBronx, New YorkA campus of the State University of New YorkStateTexas A&M Maritime AcademyGalveston, TexasA branch campus of Texas A&M University Students at these academies can graduate with appropriate United States Coast Guard licenses (Mate or Engineer) if they choose to take the Coast Guard License exam. They may become commissioned reserve officers in any branch of the service when graduating from USMMA or a ROTC scholarship from one of the other maritime schools.

Subsidies The Maritime Subsidy Board negotiates contracts for ship construction and grants operating-differential subsidies to shipping companies.

Maritime Security Program The Maritime Administrator is vested with the residual powers of the Director of the National Shipping Authority, which was established in 1951 to organize and direct emergency merchant marine operations.

The Maritime Security Act of 1996 created the Maritime Security Program (MSP) authorizes MARAD to enter into contracts with U.S.-flag commercial ship owners to provide service during times of war or national emergencies. As of 2007, ten companies have signed contracts providing the MSP with a reserve of sixty cargo vessels. The MSP is the largest source for Department of Defense surge fleet.

Past Administrators PortraitAdministratorTerm startedTerm endedRef. 1Vice Admiral Edward L. CochraneAugust 8, 1950October 1, 1952 2Albert W. GatovOctober 2, 1952June 30, 1953 3Louis S. RothschildJuly 1, 1953February 25, 1955 4Clarence G. MorseMarch 16, 1955May 1, 1960 5Vice Admiral Ralph E. WilsonJuly 1, 1960February 22, 1961 6Donald W. AlexanderOctober 9, 1961October 31, 1963 7Nicholas JohnsonMarch 2, 1964June 30, 1966 8Andrew E. GibsonMarch 25, 1969July 6, 1972 9Robert J. BlackwellJuly 7, 1972April 9, 197910Admiral Harold E. ShearOctober 19, 1981May 31, 198511John A. GaughanNovember 26, 1985March 26, 198912Captain Warren G. LebackOctober 11, 1989January 20, 199313Vice Admiral Albert J. HerbergerSeptember 14, 1993June 30, 199714Clyde J. Hart Jr.August 6, 1998May 21, 200015Captain William G. SchubertDecember 6, 2001February 11, 200516Sean T. ConnaughtonSeptember 6, 2006January 20, 200917David T. MatsudaJuly 30, 2009June 4, 201318Paul N. "Chip" JaenichenJuly 25, 2014January 13, 201719Rear Admiral Mark H. BuzbyAugust 8, 2017January 11, 202120Rear Admiral Ann C. PhillipsMay 16, 2022January 20, 2025 - Sang Yi (acting)June 12, 2025December 19, 2025dot.gov21Stephen M. CarmelDecember 19, 2025Incumbent

United States Maritime Administration

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