The monitoring system is part of an international collaboration.

When it comes to monitoring the progression of climate change, we often look to the ocean for our data. That's because rising tides, increased water temperatures, and even changing currents can all point to an underlying condition, which can spell disaster for global climates.

For the past decade, the U.S. has cooperated with international experts, using data collected by 900 deep-sea instruments to understand how the ocean is reacting to the world's greenhouse gases.

Article continues below advertisement

Starting in June 2026, the Trump administration will begin dismantling those ocean monitoring systems, removing the anchored instruments from the coast of several states, including Oregon and North Carolina, as well as international destinations like the Irminger Sea.

Meanwhile, experts say that this is a dangerous move, which could cause delays in addressing and reacting to global climate change. Not only that, but it will be hard to relaunch once the Trump administration is no longer in power.

Article continues below advertisement

Article continues below advertisement

Article continues below advertisement

A spokesperson for the National Science Foundation reportedly said that the decision to do away with 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."

However, at least one former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration official disagrees.

Article continues below advertisement

Craig McLean, who served under Trump's first term, said that the decision to dismantle this program was part of an ongoing pattern with the administration.

"This reflects the further lack of understanding that the current administration has of scientific value and scientific merit," McLean said. "By dismantling such a system, we push the United States back yet again into a rear seat in global scientific leadership."