Bipartisan lawmakers on Monday directed the National Science Foundation halt its dismantling of a major ocean observation program and reverse course to maintain a $368 million array of instruments in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
In separate letters addressed to Brian Stone, NSF’s acting director, House and Senate lawmakers slammed a May decision to disband 80 percent of the Ocean Observatories Initiative.
“Eliminating most of this complex ocean monitoring system threatens the safety of our coastal communities while undermining our nation’s ability to monitor coastal environments, marine currents, and extreme weather events,” wrote Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R), along with eight other Senate Democrats.
“We urge NSF to abide by congressional intent and legal direction, which is clearly to maintain the operation of this cost-effective research system,” the senators added.
