Lawmakers fight to stop the Trump administration's dismantling of a $386M ocean observatory project

Key Points:

• A bipartisan group of senators and two Democratic House committees have urged the National Science Foundation (NSF) to halt its plan to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $386 million network of over 900 ocean sensors monitoring climate and marine ecosystems.
• The NSF plans to remove most instruments by 2027 from locations including Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and Greenland, citing evolving scientific priorities, but lawmakers argue this move lacks scientific review and violates legal and congressional authority.
• Senators Jeff Merkley and Lisa Murkowski, along with other Democrats, criticized the decision as jeopardizing coastal safety and scientific research, especially with the approaching El Niño event, and are proposing legislation to prevent further decommissioning without thorough review.
• House Democrats accused the NSF of illegal action for not notifying appropriations committees as required by law and condemned the dismantling as wasteful and detrimental to environmental monitoring amid broader federal cuts to climate and environmental science.
• The first buoy off the Oregon coast is scheduled for removal, prompting concerns from scientists and lawmakers about losing critical data that supports over 500 scientific publications and informs public understanding of ocean and climate changes.