Merkley, Murkowski Lead the Charge to Block the Dismantling of One-Of-A-Kind Ocean Monitoring Network

Merkley, Murkowski Lead the Charge to Block the Dismantling of One-Of-A-Kind Ocean Monitoring Network June 17, 2026 Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) took to the Senate floor to successfully pass their bipartisan legislation that pauses the reckless dismantling of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a complex system of 900 ocean monitoring instruments that provides real-time, publicly available data for fishery management, coastal communities, and fishermen across the nation. The Saving the OOI Act is a simple two-page bill that says no federal funds shall be used to decommission the OOI system until the NSF conducts a thorough review and assessment of the network with robust stakeholder engagement. The bipartisan bill—which is less than 200 words—responds to the NSF’s plan to remove most of the OOI’s sensors off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and Greenland . “We are calling out an SOS—Save Ocean Sensors!” said Merkley. “ Dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative is supreme stupidity, costing taxpayers millions of dollars and destroying a vital source of climate data. Our simple, bipartisan bill blocks this incredibly short-sighted decision and preserves these critical ocean monitoring sensors that keep coastal communities and fishers safe.” “The NSF started the OOI system a decade ago to help communities prepare for significant weather events, predict fisheries disasters, and bolster maritime safety efforts. In Alaska, the Global Station Papa Array has been instrumental in doing just that as our coastal communities work to adapt and become more resilient amidst an ever-changing marine environment,” said Murkowski. “I’m grateful to my colleagues in the Senate for approving this legislation unanimously and helping to ensure that stakeholders and industry experts are consulted to keep our scientific researchers, our fishermen, and our communities equipped with this essential information.” The Saving the OOI Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Previously, Merkley and Murkowski led a bipartisan group of Senators in demanding that the NSF reverse course on its plan to eliminate most of the OOI’s monitors. Full text of the Saving the OOI Act can be found by clicking here . ###