Press Releases

Today, Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS-04), Bonamici (D-OR-01), Weber (R-TX-14), Dingell (R-MI-06), Radewagen (R-AS), and David (D-IL-07), introduced legislation to reauthorize the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) for the next five fiscal years, maintaining its authorized funding level at $56 million annually. The bill ensures continued support for critical ocean monitoring efforts that benefit coastal communities, fisheries, and maritime industries.

"IOOS is essential to keeping coastal economies strong and resilient, especially in Mississippi," Ezell said. "This reauthorization ensures we maintain vital ocean monitoring resources while modernizing the program to maximize its impact. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to support jobs, commerce, and our nation’s leadership in ocean science."

"Ensuring we have accurate and up to date ocean monitoring data is vitally important for coastal communities and the great lakes," Chairman Westerman said. "Reauthorizing the IOOS will help us continue to support healthy fisheries, boost maritime commerce, support the United States’ coastal communities and make informed decisions for various maritime operations. I'd like to thank Congressman Ezell for his work on this important legislation."

“In Michigan, the Great Lakes are central to our way of life and protecting them is personal to many of us,” Dingell said. “This bill reauthorizes the United States Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), which oversees the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) that is headquartered in Ann Arbor. GLOS provides vital data for public health, safety, ecosystem monitoring, weather, and maritime operations. Reauthorizing this critical system will culminate into improved safety, boosts in the economy, and promote a cleaner environment, benefiting everyone.”

“In American Samoa, we depend on the science of ocean observations for important data, such as wave measurements, leading to better services and decision-making in development or storm readiness. Quality IOOS data is important to all U.S. coastlines,” Radewagen said.

“Access to accurate data and monitoring is essential for Oregonians on the North Coast, for coastal communities everywhere, and for the entire Great Lakes region," Bonamici said. "The high quality tools and forecasts from NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) help people make informed decisions that protect people’s lives and livelihoods as well as the environment. This data supports secure shipping supply chains, sustainable fisheries, and research to understand how changes in the ocean and Great Lakes affect our daily lives. I’m grateful to join my colleagues in this bipartisan effort to update and improve the IOOS System.”

"Sustained ocean observations provide the information we need for a strong maritime economy, public safety, and national security. The Integrated Ocean Observing System authorization creates a public-private partnership that provides freely accessible information to meet the tailored needs of local and regional ocean and Great Lakes users while simultaneously generating data that fortifies our national models and forecasts and supports the missions of all the ocean-related agencies” – Kristen Yarincik, IOOS Association Executive Director

"While coastal residents may not always realize it, data collected and disseminated by GCOOS and the nation's 10 other IOOS regional associations impact their lives in large and small ways almost every day. The data we and our partners collect and disseminate are crucial for things such as predicting hurricane and tropical storm intensification, supporting a safe offshore energy industry, supporting safe ship navigation within ports, and even keeping people safe from toxic algal blooms. Through the ICOOS Act, associations like GCOOS can develop these regional public-private partnerships that minimize cost while maximizing data collection and dissemination for the public benefit.” – Jorge Brenner, Executive Director of the Gulf of America Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS)

“NANOOS hears from Oregon and Washington residents who depend on our reliable delivery of data, information products, and forecasts to help them make decisions affecting their safety and livelihoods. We must sustain IOOS as a national, regionally-distributed, partnership because it is trusted, cost-effective, and needed. Fishermen stress it helps them plan safe journeys, shellfish growers cite its value to their ability to maintain seafood competitiveness, managers rely on our forecasts to protect human health from harmful algal blooms while not hampering coastal economies, and planners and residents alike rave about the utility of tsunami preparedness information on their phones. ” – Jan Newton, Executive Director of the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing System (NANOOS)

The IOOS Reauthorization Act of 2025 includes minor but important updates to improve the program’s effectiveness, including:

• Clarifying the type of data IOOS provides as operational oceanographic information;
• Updating statutory references to reflect current law by replacing the National Ocean Research Leadership Council with the Ocean Policy Committee;
• Enhancing the role of the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee to ensure IOOS is used to its full capacity as an integrated system.

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