Trump administration to dismantle ocean monitoring system

Posted by youngrichyoung@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 22 comments

Crossing oceans is about to get more dangerous.

In the latest blow to climate science and the advanced forecasting capabilities it makes possible, [the US will remove more than 900 remote sensing installations in the Atlantic and Pacific](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/climate/ocean-observatories-initiative.html).

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youngrichyoung@reddit (OP)

Previously

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bryangcrane@reddit

I know we can all speculate as to what the ulterior motive is, but does anyone know what has specifically been given as the reason?

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youngrichyoung@reddit (OP)

From the article:

Michael England, a spokesman for the National Science Foundation, said the decision to dismantle the network, known as the Ocean Observatories Initiative, “aligns with N.S.F.’s wider strategy to have a nimbler approach to prioritizing support for evolving scientific priorities and emerging technologies as well as a deliberate approach to smart life cycle management within its portfolio of research infrastructure.”

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cowhand214@reddit

Wow. That js a lot of words to not convey any information. So it’s part of a modernization project but they aren’t specifying any specific replacement it sounds like.

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youngrichyoung@reddit (OP)

Yeah, it's word salad. The thinnest possible veneer of responsible governance over the soggy chipboard of corporate greed enshrined in positions of authority.

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42beeblebrox@reddit

That's a lot of words to say nothing at all.

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Small_Dog_8699@reddit

Anything that illuminates climate change must be destroyed as a treat to fossil fuel profits.

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mologav@reddit

Don’t know why you’re being downvoted

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BeardRag@reddit

Bots are ALL over reddit now friend

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TenYearHangover@reddit

Wow I just read that SailDrone got a 3.7 billion dollar contract with the Department of War to send out 900 remote sensing ocean drones! Incredible.

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GammaFork@reddit

Oceanographer here. Sail drone is nifty and good for (some) surface obs. However, many of the instruments being lost are moorings, which measure the deep ocean - this is a big problem for monitoring ocean heat uptake, circulation and predicting things like el nino, hurricanes etc.

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Nigel_99@reddit

A couple of years ago, I was sitting in a hotel lobby in Seward, Alaska. Several people near me were having an interesting conversation. Eventually I asked one of them what they were up to.

They were about to board a chartered research vessel to replace some equipment in an underwater testing station. I forget how deep it was, but definitely hundreds of meters. This scientist started explaining the kinds of data they measure, and how it's aggregated with data from a network of stations. And the data are public and searchable. Basic science, being done by experts who work for the US government.

Good and valuable work being done over a long period of time. It makes zero sense to throw it away.

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mologav@reddit

They’re probably all fired by now

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Darkwaxellence@reddit

Bigballz said science is gay so.... this is where we are now.

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Darkwaxellence@reddit

Just to be clear I think it's terrible to use gay as a derogatory term, but idiots will use it that way.

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Small_Dog_8699@reddit

Bigballz is gay so he would know

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youngrichyoung@reddit (OP)

I'd be very interested in knowing whether anyone else at all has similar sensing capabilities deployed in these areas. Will we just become blinded to the information we used to have access to? My guess is yes, we will.

Also, it has to cost more to dismantle the sensor network than it would to just leave it in place and stop listening. It makes it obvious that disrupting data collection is the primary goal: truth is the enemy.

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