NSF pauses dismantling after bipartisan Senate vote. The House should act to make it permanent.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 19, 2026
CONTACT: Jo Knight, jo@conservefish.org

Arlington, VA – The Marine Fish Conservation Network welcomed Senate passage of the Saving the OOI Act (S.4822) and the National Science Foundation’s decision to pause its dismantling of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, while calling on the House of Representatives to act quickly and make that pause permanent. The U.S. Senate passed the Saving the OOI Act by voice vote on June 17 with bipartisan support. The bill blocks the use of federal funds to decommission the OOI until NSF completes a full review with real stakeholder input. Within two days, NSF announced it would pause the removal of OOI’s ocean sensors and continue operations, including planned maintenance. The bill now awaits action in the U. S. House. Tom Sadler, chief executive officer of the Marine Fish Conservation Network, released the following statement:

“Senators Murkowski, Sullivan, Merkley, Cantwell, and their colleagues showed what’s possible when conservation, science and common sense come before politics. They moved fast, they worked across party lines, and they listened to the fishermen and scientists who depend on this data. That’s the kind of leadership our oceans need.

“Ocean data is the foundation of good conservation. We can’t protect what we can’t measure. The Ocean Observatories Initiative gives scientists and managers the information they need to track changing ocean conditions, protect vulnerable species, and keep our fisheries healthy for the long term. Losing that system wouldn’t just hurt our marine ecosystems and fishermen today. It would leave us blind to changes in our oceans for decades to come.

“Until the House passes this bill and it’s signed into law, the instruments NSF agreed to leave in place today could be at risk again tomorrow. Fishermen and coastal communities need certainty, not a temporary reprieve. The Marine Fish Conservation Network calls on the House to pass the Saving the OOI Act without delay.”

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The Marine Fish Conservation Network is a coalition of commercial and recreational fishing associations, regional and national conservation groups, aquaria, and marine science organizations committed to sustaining fish populations, healthy marine ecosystems, and robust fishing communities.