A group of Democratic senators, joined by Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and two Democratic House committees are pressing the National Science Foundation (NSF) to reverse its plan to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). In letters sent Monday, lawmakers ask NSF to stop winding down the $386 million ocean monitoring network, which includes more than 900 sensors and provides public data used in hundreds of scientific publications. The OOI has been used to study ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change, and extreme weather, and is planned to run for another 15 to 20 years.
Several reports say NSF has directed removal of most OOI instruments from parts of the Pacific and other regions, including waters off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and Greenland, with targets set for 2027. House committee Democrats argue the action is unlawful and characterize it as more than a routine adjustment, while scientists cited by outlets say the change was made without prior warning or a scientific review.
PBS also notes that instrument removals are scheduled to begin in the Pacific and that an El Niño is expected this summer, adding pressure for continuity of observations.
