Ocean Monitoring Networks Face Funding Cuts as Scientists Warn of Climate Tracking Gaps
The Trump Administration is dismantling a key network of ocean sensing instruments that scientists rely on to monitor major climate systems, raising concerns about the future of weather and climate predictions.
The affected programmes include sensors and buoys that track the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the Atlantic. These monitoring systems provide essential data for understanding global climate patterns and extreme weather events.
El Niño events, which occur when sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific rise above normal, can trigger droughts, floods, and other severe weather across multiple continents. AMOC, a system of ocean currents that helps regulate temperatures in the North Atlantic, is considered a potential tipping point in Earth's climate system.
Scientists warn that losing this monitoring infrastructure will create significant gaps in climate data collection, potentially undermining the ability to forecast extreme weather events and track the pace of climate change.