Organizations (like OGL) that depend on a good portion of their income from government-sponsored grants could not bill or receive payment for expenses, even if the expenses were incurred before the shutdown.  These are private organizations, not part of the federal government,  and they still need to make payroll and reimburse vendors for supplies and services.  Those with big enough bank accounts were able to ride the wave of income delay, but many may founder as their coffers become depleted.  The courts expect to see a high rise in bankruptcy hearings as a result of the lack of timely compensation.

Perhaps the biggest impact to people involved in marine science and industry was felt by researchers and fishermen utilizing the services (or under the regulation of) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its subsidiary, the National Marine Fisheries Service. Only personnel essential for operating the National Weather Service and some minimal number responsible for policing of US waters remained on the job for safety reasons. Alaska's crab fishermen couldn't begin their season for three or four days without the required authorizing permits,  costing them thousands of dollars per day.  Fish hatcheries in Michigan had to close the doors from visitors and personnel, and could only hope that the power would stay on long enough to keep the fish alive.

Along with the National Parks Service closing all national parks, the nation's 12 national marine sanctuaries, governed by NOAA-NMFS, were closed from all visitors, such as divers and recreational fishermen, and support staff were furloughed, including security and maintenance personnel.  Research ongoing in the sanctuaries was put on hold, with vessels having to decide whether to stay at sea or return to home port; either way, the cost to research budgets and time-sensitive studies has been enormous.  For instance, plans by USGS researchers to test new technology intended to prevent the spread of Asian Carp in the Great Lakes were put on hold for the winter after furloughed scientists missed their window for warm enough water.  Studies of endangered elkhorn coral were also put to a halt.  And, near and dear to our hearts at OGL, Fabien Cousteau and his Mission 31 team couldn't get their permits and so lost their opportunity to break the record for depth and duration with their project to live aboard the Aquarius in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, where they would be testing new equipment, studying sponges and collecting samples for the OGL biorepository; the Mission is now delayed until sometime in the spring of 2014.  Plans for the creation of the world's largest international marine sanctuary in Antarctica have also been stalled and threatened due to inability of US representatives to travel to the negotiation meetings during the shutdown. Not only that, but the US Antarctica Research Station program, sponsored by NSF, was put into "caretaker status" as the money was scheduled to run out October 14, with most researchers cut right at the commencement of the program's busiest season, delaying research indefinitely.

The marine habitat Aquarius waits for Fabien Cousteau and the Mission 31 team's visit, now scheduled for Spring of 2014. Photo:  NOAA

With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) closed and 94% of its employees furloughed, monitoring and testing of hazardous waste streams was abandoned, resulting in either backups of un-dispositioned waste or potential release of waste into US waterways.  Ongoing legislation was put on hold, and with schedule caps and delays, much in-process legislation may need to be abandoned for now and re-introduced, resulting in further delays and accumulated cost.  Some dedicated EPA employees in Georgia took it upon themselves to continue remediation efforts on an oil spill, even while on unpaid furlough, in order to avoid further damage to the aquifer and environment.

The shipping industry also took a large financial hit.  Because the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau was unable to issue export certificates for beer, wine, and distilled spirits, more than two million liters of US products were left sitting at ports unable to ship, disrupting the flow of commerce. 

 
Impacts from last month's shutdown are widespread, and ripples are sure to be felt in the months to come.  For more details about the impacts and costs from the October federal government shutdown, see this report released by the White House.