Guest commentary: Support NOAA, science-based policy funding
In a letter sent on June 18 to Congressional representatives, including Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody and Congressman Byron Donalds, the Committee of the Islands (COTI) urged full funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Ocean Observatories Initiative to support science-based policy and planning critical to the health and welfare of Florida residents and the environment.
Signed by President Bob Moore on behalf of COTI’s board of directors, the letter read as follows (an update appears after the letter):
On behalf of the Sanibel-based Committee of the Islands (COTI), we urge you, as concerned Florida citizens, to support full funding of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) so that they can continue to provide the American people the essential ocean and climate research and monitoring to warn and help protect us from future natural disasters.
Unfortunately, the administration is proposing significant reductions to federal science agencies, including a $1.6 billion cut to NOAA. The proposed 32% cut to NOAA is in direct contrast to the bipartisan support Congress showed earlier this year by protecting funding for this critical agency. Slashing NOAA’s budget would weaken weather forecasting, disrupt fisheries management and stall ocean research — putting American lives, livelihoods and global scientific leadership at risk. Congress should once again reject these cuts to ensure NOAA has the resources it needs to support our economy, protect our ocean and keep Americans safe.
Florida programs, communities, and industries that could be impacted include: National Hurricane Center forecasting and storm surge warnings; red tide and harmful algal bloom monitoring in Gulf Coast communities; the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; coral reef restoration along the Florida Reef Tract; marine mammal rescue and stranding response statewide; coastal flood forecasting and resilience planning; commercial and recreational fishing industries; ports, marinas and boating infrastructure; tourism economies dependent on healthy beaches and waterways; and university-led marine and hurricane research partnerships across Florida.
In addition, the administration announced plans to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a deep-ocean observation system that provides essential data to monitor coastal environments, marine ecosystems and powerful currents that shape the world’s climate. The timing of this move couldn’t be much worse as we are on the brink of what is expected to be one of the worst El Niño cycles in a century, which will require careful monitoring of ocean conditions to understand and predict impacts to coastal communities, fisheries and marine wildlife. Walking away from a $369-million investment in a state-of-the-art system, a feat of engineering already paid for by American taxpayers, is absolutely short-sighted and wasteful. This system is a vital scientific asset that protects American lives, communities and the economy through easy access to world-class scientific data. Its loss would create an unnecessary incapacitation for our country in predicting earthquakes, storm forecasting, coastal flooding, and fishery health.
Update: On May 21, the National Science Foundation said that it would begin removing hundreds of underwater instruments in June that collect data on coastal flooding, marine heat waves and other climate and weather events (https://oceanobservatories.org/2026/05/announcement-on-ooi-descoping/). On June 18, the agency announced that it will pause efforts to take apart the system, known as the Ocean Observatories Initiative, while convening an expert panel to determine its future (https://www.nsf.gov/news/update-ocean-observatories-initiative).
Founded in 1975, the Committee of the Islands (COTI) seeks to ensure the continuity of good local government, to protect the environment and to preserve the sanctuary character of the barrier island community. For more information, visit https://www.coti.org/.