03.23.06

Cantwell Calls for Better Ocean Monitoring in Face of Climate Change Concerns

Senator calls for full funding of program to track ocean health and climate change, improve maritime safety and early tsunami detection

WASHINGTON, DC – Wednesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Fisheries and the Coast Guard, called for better monitoring of oceans to help gain a fuller picture of global climate change and its impacts. In addition, full funding of the Integrated Coastal Ocean Observing System (ICOOS) will enhance weather forecasting, augment our understanding of the oceans, and improve stewardship of ocean and coastal resources.

“Given the current debate over climate change, one thing we can all agree on is that we need more information about what’s happening in our ecosystems,” said Cantwell. “Oceans cover nearly three-quarters of the earth’s surface and play a central role in our global weather patterns, economy, and way of life. A better, more accurate understanding of this complex system will help protect human lives and property from storms and tsunamis, bolster our nation’s security, and improve our ability to monitor and predict climate change. Better funding for effective ocean monitoring will also improve oil spill clean-up, marine resource management, search-and-rescue efforts, and maritime safety.”

The Integrated Coastal Ocean Observing System is an emerging national infrastructure developed under the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to observe and better understand oceans. Previously funded through several separate sources, Cantwell is calling for NOAA to manage a single competitive grants program to fund and promote the coordination of all regional components of ICOOS. The Northwest region’s segment of ICOOS, the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems, will coordinate the existing network of buoys and observation stations in Washington and Oregon, and carry out new projects in partnership with members of the maritime industry and scientists at three Northwest universities, including the University of Washington.

Last year, individual ICOOS programs received just over $120 million, but were slated for deep cuts in the president’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2007. In a letter Wednesday to Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, Cantwell joined Fisheries and Coast Guard Subcommittee Chairwoman Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and others to request $138 million for ICOOS programs, to be provided through a single NOAA-administered grants program. To see the letter, click here 

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