Scientists lose critical climate record as ocean observatory will go dark under Trump funding cuts

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a network of ocean sensors that has collected real-time data for a decade and informed more than 500 scientific publications, will go dark due to funding cuts under the Trump administration. Experts warn that the loss of this critical climate record is a crippling blow to ocean and climate research.

The OOI provided continuous measurements of ocean temperature, salinity, currents, and carbon dioxide levels, essential for understanding climate change, marine ecosystems, and weather patterns. The shutdown will leave a gap in data that cannot be recovered, hampering scientists' ability to track long-term trends and predict future changes.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the scientific community, which views the observatory as an irreplaceable resource for global climate science.