Another major setback to US Ocean research policy due to the Trump Administration’s attack on science.

The federal government is dismantling much of the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a vast network of nearly 900 deep-ocean sensors that track ocean temperatures, marine heatwaves, fisheries conditions, carbon absorption, and changes in major ocean currents.

Supporters say the move reflects changing priorities and a more flexible research strategy. Critics warn it could leave scientists, fishermen, coastal communities, and weather researchers with fewer tools to monitor a rapidly changing ocean.

At the same time, proposed changes to federal grantmaking could fundamentally alter how scientific research is funded in the United States, raising questions about peer review, political oversight, international collaboration, and America ...