SEATTLE — The federal Government Accountability Office has denied an appeal of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s decision to move its research fleet from Seattle’s Lake Union to Newport, Ore.

Sen. Maria Cantwell’s office says the appeal was denied because the owners of Lake Union property where the vessels were previously based decided they no longer wanted to pursue it.

However, the Port of Bellingham is still appealing, saying the research fleet should have moved there instead of Oregon. The GAO is expected to rule on that appeal by Dec. 7.

The vessels have been based in Seattle for 45 years, but in August, NOAA awarded a new 20-year lease to Newport.