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Deborah Bronk is the president and CEO of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay. Glenn Prickett is president and CEO of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland. Other organizations in the MOVE coalition include Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership, Maine Aquaculture Association, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Island Institute, Herring Gut Coastal Science Center, and The Ocean Foundation.
Federal science funding affects Maine in concrete ways. It supports conservation of valuable ecosystems in Wells, aids ground fishermen in Portland in managing stocks, helps an aquaculture farm in Brunswick reduce noise and air pollution, and gives towns like Machias the information they need to plan for storms and flooding. Those activities — and countless others like them — support jobs, local businesses, and economic stability across the state.
In Maine, science funding is closely tied to industries that depend on the marine environment. Fisheries, aquaculture, marine technology, tourism, recreation, and coastal planning all rely on consistent, authoritative data, applied research, and a skilled workforce. These are the same blue economy sectors Maine has identified as key to long-term growth, and, together, they are helping build a strong ocean-based economy while supporting education, workforce development, and planning needs that benefit the whole state.
The president’s budget proposal for the current fiscal year put forward significant reductions for key federal science agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Geological Survey, and NASA. For Maine, those proposed cuts would have translated into fewer jobs connected to marine- and science-based industries, diminished support for fisheries and aquaculture, reduced education and workforce programming, and less reliable information for towns and businesses making critical decisions.
After months of negotiation, Congress recently passed bipartisan legislation that maintains funding for these science agencies for the remainder of this fiscal year. The president subsequently signed that bill into law. That outcome matters in Maine. It preserves the scientific and technical capacity that supports working waterfronts, emerging marine businesses, and communities that depend on best available science to manage risk and invest responsibly.
Maine’s congressional delegation played a decisive role in delivering this result. Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Chellie Pingree, through their leadership roles on the Senate and House appropriations committees, helped ensure that federal science funding continues to reach programs with direct benefits for Maine workers, businesses, and communities. In a small, rural state, that leadership has outsized impact.
Over the past year, Maine Ocean Voices Engage (MOVE), a coalition of ocean-focused organizations — research institutions, science centers, fishing and aquaculture associations, universities, and community groups — collaborated to help policymakers understand what this funding supports in practice. These organizations help move federal dollars into applied work that people and businesses rely on. Our delegation not only heard that message, but acted on it — and delivered.
That funding strengthens fisheries science by incorporating fishermen’s on-the-water knowledge. It helps aquaculture farms and businesses improve operations and reduce uncertainty. It supports marine technology development, STEM education, and workforce training tied directly to Maine jobs. It also provides the data coastal towns rely on to protect infrastructure, limit recovery costs after storms, and make informed planning decisions.
By maintaining funding for key programs, Congress showed that bipartisan leadership is still possible when decisions are guided by facts and local impact. Maine is fortunate to have a delegation that understands science funding as a practical tool and uses its leadership to deliver results for the people, businesses, and communities they represent.
Continued federal support of this kind is critical. It will help ensure that Maine can build on its leadership in blue economy industries, plan with confidence, build resilience, and sustain economic strength over time.