Trump administration moves to dismantle $360‑$386 million Ocean Observatories Initiative, sparking congressional and scientific backlash
The National Science Foundation confirmed the removal of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a nationwide array of more than 900 ocean‑based sensors that cost roughly $360‑$386 million. The decision, driven by the Trump administration’s broader push to curtail federally funded science, will halt data collection on climate change, extreme weather, and marine ecosystems. Scientists and members of Congress have condemned the move as an unprecedented attack on essential research infrastructure, noting that the network underpinned hundreds of peer‑reviewed studies and informed policy. While the administration cites budget realignment, critics argue the shutdown will leave the United States blind to critical oceanic changes and set a dangerous precedent for politicizing scientific funding.
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Ocean Observatories Initiative dismantled by Trump administration: What to know
The Ocean Observatories Initiative, a network of over 900 ocean sensors that has informed more than 500 scientific publications, is being dismantled. The National Science Foundation announced it is ...
Northwest’s yanked observatories to return to ocean after Trump administration backs down
The Trump administration has reversed course on its effort to shut down a network of ocean research stations in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The National Science Foundation on Thursday announced a ...
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