Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The Trump administration has announced plans to dismantle a major deep-ocean monitoring network that scientists say is crucial for tracking climate change, ocean health and potentially catastrophic shifts in global ocean currents.
The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a $368 million system funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), has been collecting real-time data from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans since 2016.
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Equipped with around 900 sensors, underwater gliders and moored instruments, the network was designed to operate for 30 years, helping researchers monitor ocean temperatures, chemistry, currents and marine ecosystems.
However, the NSF said on May 21 that it would begin “descoping” the project. Over the next 15 months, equipment will be removed from monitoring sites off Alaska, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina and southeast Greenland, CNN reported.
The decision comes at a time when scientists are increasingly concerned about record-breaking ocean temperatures, the possibility of a powerful El Nino event and mounting evidence that major ocean circulation systems are weakening.
One of the biggest concerns involves the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a vast system of ocean currents that helps regulate climate across the globe.
A growing body of research suggests the AMOC could weaken dramatically or even collapse this century, potentially triggering severe consequences including accelerated sea-level rise along the US East Coast, prolonged droughts in parts of Africa and dramatic cooling across Europe.
“Ongoing monitoring of the ocean is critical, especially now,” Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate scientist and oceanographer at Germany’s Potsdam University told CNN. He noted that concern within the scientific community over major ocean current changes is growing.
The OOI has also played a key role in tracking ocean acidification, warming waters and declining oxygen levels that affect fisheries and marine ecosystems. In the Pacific Northwest, data from the Coastal Endurance Array helps fishing communities monitor Dungeness crab populations and provides weather information for commercial vessels.
Scientists say the network’s observations have become increasingly important as global oceans experience unprecedented heat. Ocean temperatures have reached record highs in recent years, contributing to stronger hurricanes, widespread coral bleaching and rising sea levels.
The NSF defended the decision, saying it aligns with a broader strategy to prioritize emerging scientific priorities and manage research infrastructure more efficiently. However, critics argue that dismantling an operational system already paid for by taxpayers could undermine both scientific research and practical services such as storm forecasting, fisheries management and coastal flood prediction.
Researchers warn that once the instruments are removed, valuable long-term datasets could be interrupted permanently, reducing humanity’s ability to detect and respond to potentially dangerous changes unfolding across the world’s oceans.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
