UPDATE: Plan reversed and all the observatories will be kept - after unanimous bill passed in Senate to preserve them - to: Yes Trump's admin does plan to stop 3 out of 5 observatories in the Ocean Observatories Initiative - many other observatories outside the initiative - not the important 26.5N long term AMOC series

Robert-Walker

UPDATE: the plan has been reversed after a unanimous bill in the Senate to preserve them - all the observatories will be kept. See below: Robert-Walker

Yes Trump is shutting down some marine observatories but what he is doing is overstated by the New York Times. Though one of the observatories is of interest to the AMOC it is not the important long term series at 26.5 N. Also two of the five observatories remain and the Ocean Observatories Initiative will continue to collect data from them and though important, there are many other ocean observatories.

TEXT ON GRAPHIC

World map graphic showing Ocean Observatories Initiative arrays.

These remain

Global Irminger Sea Array

Coastal Pioneer Array.

To be decommissioned

Global Station Papa Array

Regional Cabled Array

Coastal Endurance Array

Already decommissioned in Trump’s first term

Global Southern Ocean Array (decomissioned 2020)

Global Argentine Basin Array (decomissioned 2018)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_OOI_Arrays_updated_2021.jpg

I’m debunking the New York Times article here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/climate/ocean-observatories-initiative.html

The NY Times is the only media source I can find running the story at present. Apart from that there’s a brief update by the Ocean Observatory Initiative.

QUOTE STARTS

This plan includes the removal of all in-water infrastructure from the Irminger Sea, Station Papa, Endurance and Pioneer Arrays, subject to ship scheduling and other operational constraints. All recovered equipment will be retained by the operating institution pending further guidance from NSF.

The OOI Regional Cabled Array will remain operational for the foreseeable future. NSF intends to ensure continuity of the Data Center capabilities in support of ongoing OOI operations.

https://oceanobservatories.org/2026/05/announcement-on-ooi-descoping/

This does seem another mistaken decision by Trump cutting long term science to save a minute amount of money.

The instruments are regularly replaced by refurbished ones

Maintenance cruises are conducted once a year at each Global Array and the RCA, and twice a year at each Coastal Array. During these cruises, all instruments on both the RCA and mooring lines are replaced with refurbished and re-calibrated ones. At the same time, glider vehicles are replaced with newly serviced ones.

https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2023-03/50_fy2024.pdf

So it may not be so hard to reinstate them if necessary as the article suggests

NY Times doesn’t explain that an important part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative still remains operational of the US West Coast , or that there was a similar descoping during Trump’s first term that already removed two of the 7 major observatories, or that there are many other ocean monitoring systems and that this doesn’t affect the long term AMOC series that’s most important for work on AMOC.

This is an important ocean monitoring system and some of its measurements are of interest for the AMOC but it is not the main way the AMOC is measured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Observatories_Initiative

The long term AMOC series is a line of subsurface instruments called RAPID, an international collaboration between the National Oceanography Centre, University of Miami, and NOAA.

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU24/EGU24-4707.html

QUOTE STARTS

The 26N AMOC time series is derived from measurements of temperature, salinity, pressure and water velocity from an array of moored instruments that extend from the east coast of the Bahamas to the continental shelf off Africa east of the Canary Islands.

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/538140/

The AMOC data from RAPID is collected by UK and USA research cruises

https://www.bodc.ac.uk/resources/inventories/edmed/report/6178/

It does seem a shortsighted decision by Trump’s administration and part of an overall pattern of reducing funding for long term initiaties in science. But it’s more limited in scope than the NY Times suggests.

This is my answer here repeated at top level so everyone sees it and will sticky it for now.

https://ddebunked.org/d/4318-answer-stops-3-out-of-5-observatories-in-the-ocean-observatories-initiative-many-other-observatories-outside-the-initiative-not-the-important-265n-long-term-amoc-series-answer-to-trump-stops-ocean-data

Robert-Walker

Update - the plan was reversed and those 3 observatories are now all saved.

A bit here about how it happened. Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Merkley introduced it in the Senate and it passed by unanimous consent.

QUOTE STARTS

Late Wednesday, the U.S. Senate approved a bill to prohibit federal spending for decommissioning of any of the Ocean Observatories Initiative without a thorough review, including review by people and organizations using the information provided by the system

The bill was introduced and brought to the floor by Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Jeff Merkley. Called the “Saving the OOI Act,” it passed by unanimous consent.

It was introduced in the Senate on the 17th and passed by unanimous consent the same day.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/s4822

In principle it should go to the House next but since the NSF already reversed the action perhaps it doesn’t even need to go into law.

The following day, the National Science Foundation announced the reversal of a decision that it previously classified as a mere “descoping” of the observatories network.
…
While most of the sponsors of the bill were Democrats from coastal states, a second Republican had signed on as of Wednesday as a cosponsor: Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.

https://alaskabeacon.com/2026/06/19/u-s-scientific-instruments-in-oceans-off-alaska-and-elsewhere-to-remain-in-place/

US NSF response - they will not remove any more equipment and will replace the Endurance Array after servicing.
QUOTE STARTS

The U.S. National Science Foundation appreciates the concerns raised by the range of stakeholders that have informed us they rely on data from the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). Effective immediately, NSF will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance. While the Endurance Array has been removed from the water, we are developing plans to redeploy the equipment after servicing.
https://www.nsf.gov/news/update-ocean-observatories-initiative

Senators welcome the response

QUOTE STARTS

Murkowski: “The National Science Foundation’s decision to leave the Ocean Observatories Initiative’s buoys in place is a massive win for coastal communities and fishermen around the country. The data accessed through OOI is important for so many, and I’m immensely grateful that NSF listened to our calls.

Today we saw the federal process at work—with the Senate quickly passing legislation and the executive branch responding to our position. I’m pleased to have partnered with Senator Merkley and a number of my colleagues to preserve this valuable system.”

Merkley: “I teamed up with Senator Murkowski to lead an ‘SOS’ call—Save Ocean Sensors—and the Senate unanimously approved our bipartisan bill to defend the vital Ocean Observatories Initiative. Now, the National Science Foundation has reversed course and agreed to preserve the OOI’s critical sensors that provide essential data for managing our fisheries, forecasting weather, and understanding climate change. We’ll keep fighting to ensure scientists, fishermen, and coastal communities can continue to utilize the critical data the OOI provides.”

https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-merkley-secure-commitment-to-preserve-us-ocean-monitoring-system