Administration reverses plan to shut down ocean monitoring network
The retreat follows unanimous Senate action to block dismantling of a federal ocean data system used by scientists, forecasters and fisheries managers.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
The Trump administration is backing away from a plan to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a federally supported ocean-monitoring network, after bipartisan pressure in the Senate. The change matters because the system supplies data used for research, weather forecasting, fisheries management and government planning.
The New York Times reported Thursday that the administration is expected to announce the reversal later in the day. Ars Technica reported that Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Science Committee, said in a statement that the decision to reverse course had been made.
The federal government had announced in May that it would take apart the Ocean Observatories Initiative, according to Ars Technica. The government did not give a reason for the move, Ars reported.
The system, known as OOI, includes arrays of instruments in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. According to the Ocean Observatories Initiative, its equipment tracks conditions including currents, salinity, chemical levels, temperatures and tectonic activity.
Ars Technica reported that the network has been built with more than $350 million in federal spending. The OOI data portal lists more than 100 data products collected by the system.
Senate moved to block shutdown
The reversal follows a unanimous Senate vote Wednesday on a measure that would stop the government from taking down the network, according to Ars Technica. Opposition grew because the OOI serves users beyond climate researchers, including forecasters and fisheries managers, Ars reported.
The network has collected ocean data continuously for about a decade, according to Ars Technica. That record can be used to study changes in how oceans absorb heat and carbon dioxide, Ars reported, which led to suspicion that climate policy politics played a role in the shutdown plan.
No formal federal statement had been released at the time of the reports. The Times said an announcement was expected later Thursday, while Lofgren’s statement indicated the decision had already been reached.
Condition of the network remains unclear
The main unresolved issue is whether any of the monitoring equipment has already been removed or damaged during the weeks after the May announcement, according to Ars Technica.
“We also don’t yet know how much damage they have already done,” Lofgren said in the statement reported by Ars Technica. “To be clear, this should have never happened. This pathetic scheme was illegal.”
Ars Technica reported that, for now, the administration’s retreat could avoid a court fight over whether the shutdown effort was lawful. The immediate question is how quickly federal agencies can confirm the network’s status and keep its data flowing to users.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.