This study investigates the prioritization and resource allocation strategies adopted by the coastal local governments of Qingdao, Dalian, and Xiamen in the context of marine regulatory reform aimed at enhancing regulatory efficiency. Data on relevant opinions, departmental requirements, and existing resource allocations were collected through a questionnaire survey. A backpropagation (BP) neural network was then applied to analyze the survey data, prioritize regulatory tasks, and propose resource allocation schemes. The findings demonstrate that integrating machine learning into marine regulation can significantly improve resource utilization efficiency, optimize task execution sequences, and enhance the scientific and refined nature of regulatory work. The BP neural network model exhibited strong predictive capabilities on the training set and demonstrated good generalization abilities on the test set. The performance of the BP neural network model varied slightly across different management levels. For the management level, the accuracy, precision, and recall rates were 85%, 88%, and 82%, respectively. For the supervisory level, these metrics were 81%, 83%, and 78%, respectively. At the employee level, the accuracy, precision, and recall rates were 79%, 81%, and 76%, respectively. These results indicate that the BP neural network model can provide differentiated resource allocation recommendations based on the needs of different management levels. Additionally, the model’s performance was assessed based on the employees’ years of experience. For employees with 0–5 years of experience, the accuracy, precision, and recall rates were 82%, 84%, and 79%, respectively. For those with 5–10 years of experience, the metrics were 83%, 86%, and 80%, respectively. For employees with over 10 years of experience, the accuracy, precision, and recall rates were 85%, 88%, and 82%, respectively. These data further confirm the applicability and effectiveness of the BP neural network model across different experience groups. Thus, the adoption of machine learning technologies for optimizing marine regulatory resources holds significant practical value, aiding in the enhancement of regulatory capacity and effectiveness within coastal local governments.