Bipartisan backlash thwarts Trump administration’s attempt to dissolve Ocean Observatories Initiative

Published June 18, 2026 4:47pm ET | Updated June 18, 2026 4:47pm ET



National Science Foundation officials said Thursday that they would no longer move forward with plans to remove underwater equipment used to collect data on weather events, marine ecosystems, and climate change after a Trump administration plan to cut the program received bipartisan pushback.

The Ocean Observatories Initiative was on the chopping block in President Donald Trump’s proposed 2026 budget as part of a broader rollback of spending related to climate change research.

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