Trump administration reverses decision to scrap ocean monitoring system

The Trump administration has reversed its decision to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $368 million deep-sea observation system. This reversal comes after significant opposition from lawmakers and ocean experts who raised concerns about the project's termination.

The National Science Foundation announced on Thursday that it would halt plans to dismantle the initiative. The foundation stated that it "will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance."

Initially, the administration planned to dismantle the system, a move that sparked an outcry from the scientific community. Experts argued that the observatory was crucial for monitoring the oceans and understanding climate change. The decision to continue operations ensures the preservation of valuable scientific data and research capabilities.

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effective immediately, [it] will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance.