US lawmakers fight Trump administration cuts to $386m ocean monitoring program: ‘supreme stupidity’

US lawmakers are urging the National Science Foundation (NSF) to reverse its decision to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a $386 million ocean monitoring network. The OOI, comprising over 900 sensors, has spent the last decade tracking ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change, and extreme weather, making its data publicly accessible and contributing to more than 500 scientific publications. The project was originally planned to operate for an additional 15 to 20 years. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, has joined Democratic senators and two Democratic House committees in opposing the NSF's plan. House lawmakers have specifically accused the agency of acting illegally in its attempt to dismantle the network. The initiative's data has been crucial for understanding critical environmental changes and has supported extensive scientific research.