Trump Administration Reverses Course on Ocean Monitoring Cuts
The Trump administration has abandoned its controversial plan to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a critical network of deep-sea sensors. The reversal follows intense bipartisan outcry in Congress and mounting concerns that removing the equipment would blind scientists to the intensifying impacts of the climate crisis and extreme weather events.
The National Science Foundation confirmed Thursday it will no longer proceed with the removal or descoping of the initiative, which monitors coastal habitats and provides essential storm forecasting data. Less than a month ago, the agency had proposed stripping away more than 900 instruments from U.S. coastlines. The NSF stated it will now continue maintenance operations and move forward with plans to redeploy the Endurance Array in the Pacific Northwest following necessary servicing.
The decision arrives just one day after the Republican-controlled Senate passed a measure aimed at blocking the administration from gutting the program. Senator Jeff Merkley, who championed the legislative push alongside Senator Lisa Murkowski, previously labeled the proposed dismantling as "supreme stupidity" that threatened a vital source of climate data. While the administration’s pivot has been welcomed by climate advocates, the Democratic National Committee’s Environment and Climate Council noted that the move represents a "low bar" for an administration frequently criticized for its hostility toward climate science.
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