Scientists lose critical climate record as ocean observatory will go dark under Trump funding cuts
Scientists say removing the network will erase a decade of real-time data on ocean currents, climate change and coastal flooding, while saving about $48 million a year.
- On Monday, the National Science Foundation announced it will remove 900 instruments from the $368 million Ocean Observatories Initiative , dismantling deep-sea monitoring networks across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
- This action aligns with plans by Thomas F. Gilman, a former Trump administration official who wrote Project 2025's Department of Commerce section and previously advised that climate research should be "disbanded" to reduce federal bloat.
- Hilary Palevsky, a Boston College professor, noted the system provides essential data on how the ocean absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide, while researchers warn the loss hinders tracking of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation , which impacts global weather and fisheries.
- Ships will deploy this month to extract in-water infrastructure from the Irminger Sea and Station Papa; the NSF stated this "descoping" process could take 15 months and aligns with wider strategy for "smart life cycle management."
- The program's closure follows the Environmental Protection Agency's repeal of the "endangerment finding" and the shutdown of the National Center for Atmospheric Research , moves critics like former NOAA chief scientist Craig McLean describe as a sign of the administration's "lack of understanding.
64 Articles
64 Articles
Trump administration cuts ambitious ocean monitoring program
Scientists across the country are expressing alarm as the Trump administration dismantles another tool for understanding how the planet is changing. More than 900 deep-sea ocean sensors will be pulled out of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans near Washington, Oregon, Alaska, North Carolina and Greenland. Researchers say these are critical ocean observation tools. William Brangham explains.
Trump Government Wants to Eliminate Ocean Observation System Crucial to Understanding Climate Change
Donald Trump's government intends to deactivate a system of observation of the ocean depths, considered crucial for the understanding of climate change and marine ecosystems. As the authorities say it would save $48 million (R$243 million) per year in operational costs, it led the Democrats to state on Tuesday that they will fight the plan. The system cost $368 million (R$1.8 billion) when it was installed in 2016.
Trump administration dismantles ambitious ocean monitoring program
Scientists across the country are expressing alarm as the Trump administration dismantles another tool for understanding how the planet is changing. More than 900 deep-sea ocean sensors will be pulled out of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans near Washington, Oregon, Alaska, North Carolina and Greenland. Researchers say these are critical ocean observation tools. William Brangham explains.
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