{"id":2615794,"date":"2026-06-18T17:39:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T21:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/backlash-thwarts-trump-admin-attempt-to-dissolve-ocean-observatories-initiative\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T17:41:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T21:41:48","slug":"backlash-thwarts-trump-admin-attempt-to-dissolve-ocean-observatories-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/backlash-thwarts-trump-admin-attempt-to-dissolve-ocean-observatories-initiative\/","title":{"rendered":"Backlash thwarts Trump admin attempt to dissolve Ocean Observatories Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbacklash-thwarts-trump-admin-attempt-to-dissolve-ocean-observatories-initiative%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2615794&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced it will halt plans to remove underwater equipment from the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), responding to bipartisan concerns. The OOI, a $386 million network of 900 sensors established in 2009 to monitor oceanic conditions related to weather, climate change, and marine ecosystems, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >faced potential decommissioning initiated<\/a> by the Trump governance\u2019s 2026 budget proposals. This move prompted bipartisan letters urging a review, with critics arguing the reductions were illegal and risking the loss of critical data. the NSF now commits to engaging stakeholders and forming an expert panel to assess observational needs and develop a sustainable plan for ocean monitoring. The decision is seen as a significant victory for coastal communities, fisheries, and climate research, emphasizing the importance of continuous ocean data collection.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">National Science Foundation officials said Thursday that they would no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/san-francisco-mayor-london-breed-breaks-funding-promise-for-homeless-shelter-in-tenderloin-district\/\" title=\"SF Mayor Breed reneges on funding pledge for Tenderloin homeless shelter\">longer move forward<\/a> with plans to remove underwater equipment used to collect <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/data\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1480\">data<\/a> on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/weather\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1458\">weather<\/a> events, marine ecosystems, and climate change after a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration<\/a> plan to cut the program received bipartisan pushback.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Ocean Observatories Initiative was on the chopping block in President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> proposed 2026 budget as part of a broader rollback of spending related to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-paul-fauci-is-example-of-elitist-left-who-think-common-mans-too-stupid-to-make-own-decisions\/\" title=\"Sen. Paul: Fauci Is Example Of \u2018Elitist\u2019 Left Who Think \u2018Common Man\u2019s Too Stupid\u2019 To Make Own Decisions\">climate change research<\/a>.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4614672\/12-million-barrels-oil-crossed-strait-hormuz-overnight-vance\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>More than 12.5 million barrels of oil crossed Strait of Hormuz overnight, Vance says<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4614107\/regulators-overhaul-transmission-rules-ai-data-centers\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Regulators order overhaul of transmission rules to support AI and data center boom<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4612670\/g7-leaders-agree-plan-undo-china-dominance-critical-minerals\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>G7 leaders agree to plan to undo China\u2019s dominance in critical minerals<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe U.S. National Science Foundation appreciates the concerns raised by the range of stakeholders that have informed us they rely on data from the Ocean Observatories Initiative,\u201d an NSF statement reads. \u201cEffective immediately, NSF will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The administration sought a 55% cut to the agency, describing the OOI removal as a \u201cdescoping\u201d rather than a cancellation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The OOI is a network of 900 sensors scattered throughout the ocean with a price tag of $386 million. The program was started in 2009, and the sensors are meant to have a lifespan of 15-20 years, but earlier this month, the NSF started pulling them from the ocean floor. The NSF was planning to pull the instruments located off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and Greenland by 2027.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But a bipartisan letter co-written by Sens. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jeff-merkley\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3655\">Jeff Merkley<\/a> (D-OR) and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lisa-murkowski\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2303\">Lisa Murkowski<\/a> (R-AK) urged the NSF to conduct a thorough review of the OOI and change its course. Leading Democrats on two House committees sent a joint letter, going a step further than the senators by calling the OOI cut illegal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMoving forward, NSF will issue a Dear Colleague Letter to collect input from stakeholders and convene an expert panel to assess observational needs, evaluate available data sources, consider responses to the Dear Colleague Letter and help the agency identify a sustainable path for NSF\u2019s ocean observing systems,\u201d according to the agency. \u201cNSF remains committed to ocean sciences, to responsible stewardship of its research infrastructure and to supporting the stakeholders that depend on it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4607237\/state-cities-pushing-back-against-data-centers\/\">HERE ARE THE STATES AND CITIES PUSHING BACK AGAINST DATA CENTERS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Murkowski told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>that the NSF\u2019s change of course is a \u201cmassive win for coastal communities,\u201d as it relies on the OOI\u2019s research to better formulate forecasts and weather models.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNational Science Foundation\u2019s decision to leave the OOI buoys in place is a massive win for coastal communities and fishermen around the country,\u201d\u00a0she said.\u00a0\u201cThe data accessed through OOI is a game changer for so many, and I\u2019m immensely grateful that NSF listened to our calls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap\" style=\"min-height:5px;\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" style=\"display:none;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NSF halts removal of ocean data equipment after bipartisan push<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4130,"featured_media":2615795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26117616972461.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[81405,51601,81404,53494,32640],"class_list":["post-2615794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-environmental-monitoring","tag-government-funding-2","tag-ocean-observatories","tag-scientific-research","tag-trump-administration"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26117616972461.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2615794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2615794"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2615794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2615798,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2615794\/revisions\/2615798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2615795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2615794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2615794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2615794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}