Trump Administration Plans to Dismantle $368 Million Ocean Observation Network
Updated
Updated · KALW · Jun 15
Trump Administration Plans to Dismantle $368 Million Ocean Observation Network
3 articles · Updated · KALW · Jun 15
Summary
$368 million in ocean-monitoring infrastructure is slated for dismantling under a Trump administration plan that would shut a long-running seafloor observation network used to track ocean health, currents and climate change.
The system has supplied scientists with decade-long data on marine ecosystems and broader ocean conditions, making it a key source for research and forecasting.
Craig McLean, NOAA’s former chief scientist, said scrapping the network would push the United States further into a “rear seat” in global scientific leadership.
The move fits a broader rollback in federal climate and ocean research that has already drawn congressional objections over plans to decommission the Ocean Observatories Initiative.