Bonamici, Young Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Ocean Research

Press Release

Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Don Young (R-AK), Co-Chairs of the House Oceans Caucus, recognized World Oceans Day and National Ocean Month by introducing legislation to significantly advance research about the ocean, bays, estuaries, and coasts.

The Bolstering Long-Term Understanding and Exploration of the Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries (BLUE GLOBE) Act will accelerate the collection, management, and dissemination of ocean data and monitoring. It will assess the potential for an Advanced Research Project Agency--Oceans (ARPA-O), improve domestic and international coordination, and strengthen federal innovation efforts to expand ocean data and monitoring technologies.

"As we kick-off the inaugural year of the UN Decade of Ocean Science, we must rapidly scale up ocean observation and exploration efforts to better understand how to protect our ocean for future generations," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "The BLUE GLOBE Act will help produce the accurate ocean data that coastal communities rely on for navigation and port security and to forecast ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, and marine heat waves. I am grateful to be working with my House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair, Don Young, on this critical issue so we can safeguard our ocean and planet."

"Healthy oceans are essential to Alaska's economy and way of life, and we must protect them for years to come. I am proud to join my House Oceans Caucus Co-Chair, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, as we introduce the BLUE GLOBE Act," said Congressman Don Young. "This comprehensive bill will improve our understanding of the ocean by supporting the development and deployment of new, innovative research strategies. I am particularly excited about the advances this bill will make for our ocean mapping capabilities and for our efforts to fight illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. There is much work ahead, but I am confident that the bipartisan and collaborative nature of the House Oceans Caucus will help us create a roadmap for strengthening the health of our oceans, both for Alaska and for coastal communities across our nation."

The BLUE GLOBE Act is included in the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis' Climate Action Plan. Bonamici helped develop the action plan a member of the Select Committee.

A summary of the BLUE GLOBE Act can be found here and the bill text can be found here. Bonamici and Young were joined by Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA), Ed Case (D-HI), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), and Steve Cohen (D-TN).

Bonamici and Young also introduced a resolution to honor World Oceans Day and recommit to federal investments in ocean science. The text of the resolution can be viewed here. They were joined by Representatives Huffman (D-CA), Case (D-HI), Kilmer (D-WA), Pappas (D-NH), Barragan (D-CA), Cohen (D-TN), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Gonzalez-Colon (D-CA).

The House Oceans Caucus is a bipartisan group of House members committed to protecting the health of the ocean. The Caucus is focused on environmental stressors (including ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms, and hypoxia); marine debris; ocean data and monitoring; coastal resiliency; and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

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