Trump Era Ends Deep-Sea Ocean Sensor Network
TL;DR. The U.S. National Science Foundation will dismantle a 900-sensor deep-sea network used for climate and weather monitoring, a program started in 2015. - These sensors provided critical data for forecasting El Niño events, detecting tsunamis, and tracking ocean health. - The network was part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, and its dismantling will take until 2027. - Scientists warned the loss of continuous data collection could hinder future climate and oceanographic research.
- The NSF will dismantle a network of over 900 deep-sea sensors in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
- This network, part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, provided crucial real-time data for El Niño forecasting, tsunami detection, and oceanographic research.
- The Trump administration had previously attempted to cut funding for the $368 million project, which began collecting data in 2015.
- Dismantling the entire network will continue until 2027, leading to a significant loss of continuous ocean data.