Saving the OOI Act of 2026

Keep coastal ocean monitors running

The bill would bar the National Science Foundation from using federal money to decommission or scale back Ocean Observatories Initiative instruments anchored off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and North Carolina, and in the Irminger Sea. The NSF Director would need to keep full, steady operations for the initiative, including monitoring in any state that had instruments decommissioned, until a full review is finished. That review would include input from scientists and coastal communities. If enacted, this would take effect upon enactment and would not provide new funding.