CNN reports that the Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to take apart a $368 million deep-ocean monitoring system, a decision that has worried many scientists. The network, called the Ocean Observatories Initiative, or OOI, has watched over the oceans since 2016. By removing it, the US is stepping back from important data collection at a time when the oceans are facing record-high temperatures and possible instability.
The OOI is made up of about 900 instruments placed across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. These tools are built to handle the extreme pressure and saltiness of the deep sea, using underwater gliders and anchored equipment to give real-time updates on ocean health.
This data helps track changes in chemistry and the strong currents that shape global weather. The initiative was first planned to last thirty years, but the National Science Foundation announced on May 21 that it would scale back the network.
Scientists tie the monitoring loss to rising ocean temperatures and stronger storms
Over the next 15 months, the agency plans to remove in-water equipment from arrays off the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and North Carolina, along with the North Atlantic near southeast Greenland.
Mike England, head of media affairs at NSF, said the decision “aligns with NSF’s wider strategy of a nimbler approach to prioritize support for evolving scientific priorities and emerging technologies, as well as smart lifecycle management within its research infrastructure portfolio.”
The timing of this move worries many experts because it comes during a period of large, often unexplained changes in global ocean temperatures. These changes are already linked to stronger hurricanes, rising sea levels, and coral bleaching.
Helen Findlay, a biological oceanographer at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said steady monitoring is “how we detect emerging risks in real time,” and added, “Without them, we are effectively choosing to navigate an increasingly volatile ocean with diminishing visibility.”
One of the biggest concerns involves the possible collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC. Research suggests this important network of currents could collapse as early as this century, which would bring severe effects like a winter deep freeze in Europe and faster sea level rise on the US East Coast.
Stefan Rahmstorf, a physics and oceans professor at Potsdam University, stressed the value of this work, saying, “Ongoing monitoring of the ocean is critical, especially now,” and that “Concern in the oceanography community about major ocean current changes ahead is large.”
The effects are expected to reach several industries too. In the Pacific Northwest, the Coastal Endurance Array gives important information for commercial fishing, including the Quinault Indian Nation, by tracking oxygen levels and water temperatures.
Jan Newton, an oceanography professor at the University of Washington, explained that these arrays help show whether Dungeness crab populations are stable or at risk of dying off because of environmental changes. The administration’s broader approach to environmental policy has drawn attention before, including an unplanned rant about windmills during an Oval Office visit.
Newton also pointed out that the buoys give weather readings that warn boat captains about dangerous conditions. She said, “To me, this is counterintuitive because we are not funding the things that will help us maintain maritime dominance and shellfish competitiveness.” The administration has weighed in on other maritime and shipping route disputes in recent months.
The NSF says the initiative is not being canceled, but the loss of these specific arrays means a major drop in the ability to track ocean health. Critics argue that the administration is weakening scientific leadership and giving up equipment that taxpayers have already paid for.
Rick Spinrad, an oceanographer who led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the Biden administration, questioned the decision, saying, “I’d call this penny wise, tons foolish,” and asking, “Where’s the analysis of return on investment that shows that eliminating OOI is in the taxpayers’ best interest?”
Published: Jun 7, 2026 06:45 am