The Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC) is one of five Regional Aquaculture Centers established by Congress. The designated regions are Tropical/Subtropical, Western, Northeastern, North Central, and Southern. Authorization for establishment of these Centers by USDA was provided in Title XIV of the Agriculture & Food Act of 1980 and the Food Security Act of 1985 (Subtitle L, Section 1475[d]). SRAC is an administrative unit that serves thirteen states and two territories including: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Virginia. The Southern Regional Aquaculture Center is sponsored by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).