Feds will abruptly dismantle system monitoring climate change, oceans over a decade early

The National Science Foundation is dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative more than a decade early.

The NSF has begun removing four of the five remaining arrays from the initiative, which was designed for a 25-year lifespan to deliver continuous ocean and climate data. This premature shutdown could represent a significant change in federal ocean monitoring and climate science capabilities.

Dismantling started before June 2026, with the Pacific Northwest array removal expected to finish later that month. The other three arrays in the Gulf of Alaska, off New England’s continental shelf, and in the Irminger Sea will be removed by the end of summer 2027. Only one cabled array monitoring seismic and volcanic activity on the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate will remain. The initiative, which cost over $360 million to build and required about $40 million annually to maintain, has faced budget cuts exceeding 80 percent proposed for the next decade. Scientists warn this could cause loss of crucial data on ocean temperature, salinity, currents, and climate patterns important for research and national security.

NSF officials encourage continued use of the decade of data already collected, while the National Academies recommend independent review and sustained funding for future ocean observing needs.

Feds will abruptly dismantle system monitoring climate change, oceans
By Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY