Saving the OOI Act of 2026

This bill would prohibit the National Science Foundation (NSF) from using federal funds to decommission or reduce the scope of Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) instruments until a comprehensive review is completed. The NSF would be required to engage with scientific and coastal communities during this review and maintain full operations for OOI arrays located off the coasts of Alaska, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and in the Irminger Sea. Additionally, the bill would mandate that the NSF continue monitoring and operations in states where instruments have already been decommissioned until the review process is finalized.

This bill directly affects the National Science Foundation (NSF), which is prohibited from decommissioning or descoping Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) instruments until a review is completed. The legislation also impacts members of the scientific and coastal communities who must be engaged during the review process. Additionally, it affects operations involving OOI instruments located off the coasts of Alaska, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and in the Irminger Sea.

• Moratorium on decommissioning ocean instruments. Prohibits the National Science Foundation from using federal funds to decommission or reduce the scope of Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) instruments until a comprehensive review is finished.
• Mandatory review of the Ocean Observatories Initiative. Requires the National Science Foundation to conduct a thorough review of the OOI that includes active engagement from coastal and scientific communities.
• Maintenance of full operations and monitoring. Directs the National Science Foundation to maintain consistent operations across all OOI arrays, including monitoring in states where instruments were previously decommissioned, until the required review is complete.
• Protection of specific regional arrays. Specifies that the review and operational requirements apply to OOI instruments located off the coasts of Alaska, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington, as well as those in the Irminger Sea.

The bill's prohibitions and operational requirements take effect immediately and remain in place until the National Science Foundation completes a thorough review of the Ocean Observatories Initiative.

The bill places temporary restrictions on the National Science Foundation's authority to decommission or descope infrastructure within the existing Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). It requires the maintenance of full operations for current OOI arrays in several states and the Irminger Sea until a mandatory review process is completed.

The bill aims to prevent the National Science Foundation from decommissioning or reducing the scope of Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) instruments until a comprehensive review is conducted with input from scientific and coastal communities. It seeks to maintain full operational status of ocean monitoring arrays across multiple locations, including Alaska, Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, and the Irminger Sea, to ensure continued collection of physical, chemical, geological, and biological data.