Trump Administration Retains Ocean Monitoring Network After Pushback
WHO:
AP News - The National Science Foundation (NSF) reversed its decision to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) after objections from Democratic lawmakers and scientists.
AP News - Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon criticized the dismantling plan, calling it "supreme stupidity."
WHAT:
Ars Technica - The National Science Foundation stated it would convene an expert panel to determine the future of the Ocean Observatories Initiative.
The Guardian - The NSF announced it would issue a "Dear Colleague Letter" to collect input from stakeholders regarding the OOI.
AP News - The NSF will halt efforts to remove or disable equipment from the OOI and will redeploy equipment that had already been removed.
AP News - The OOI is a network of more than 900 ocean sensors built at a cost of $386 million.
AP News - The OOI has produced data that informs more than 500 scientific publications and tracks ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change, and extreme weather.
AP News - The NSF had planned to remove most of the system’s instruments by 2027.
WHERE:
AP News - The OOI instruments are located in waters off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and Greenland.
WHEN:
AP News - The NSF's removal plan was set to be completed by 2027.
AP News - The Trump administration's proposed budget for 2026 included a 55% cut to the NSF.
WHY:
AP News - The NSF described the removal as a “descoping” aligned with a strategy to prioritize “evolving scientific priorities and emerging technologies.”
AP News - The cuts to the OOI were viewed as part of a broader retreat from environmental and climate-related science under the Republican administration.
HOW:
The Guardian - The NSF noted that it was developing plans to redeploy equipment from the Endurance Array after servicing.
AP News - The decision to dismantle the OOI was made without warning and without scientific review, according to scientists.
(UPDATED June 19, 2026 06:43 UTC)
The National Science Foundation has announced it will convene an expert panel to determine the future of the Ocean Observatories Initiative. As part of this process, the NSF will issue a "Dear Colleague Letter" to gather input from stakeholders regarding the initiative. Additionally, the NSF is developing plans to redeploy equipment from the Endurance Array after it has been serviced.
--
(UPDATED June 18, 2026 23:39 UTC)
The National Science Foundation has reversed its decision to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative after pushback from Democratic lawmakers and scientists, including Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who called the plan "supreme stupidity." The NSF will now halt efforts to remove equipment from the initiative, which consists of over 900 ocean sensors that have contributed to more than 500 scientific publications on critical topics like climate change and marine ecosystems. Originally, the NSF had planned to complete the removal of most instruments by 2027, but this new decision marks a significant shift in priorities regarding environmental and climate-related research.