The Trump administration has suspended its plan to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a $368 million ocean monitoring system that provides crucial data on climate change and marine environments. The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the pause on Thursday, following bipartisan opposition from lawmakers who warned that removing the equipment would jeopardize scientific research and coastal community safety.

In May, the NSF had signaled its intent to begin decommissioning hundreds of underwater instruments this month. These devices, anchored off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina, and in the Irminger Sea between Greenland and Iceland, have gathered key measurements related to coastal flooding, marine heat waves, and other ocean and weather phenomena for over a decade.

The system's real-time data have been used by scientists to study how oceans absorb greenhouse gases, assess risks to fisheries from rising temperatures, and monitor potentially destabilizing ocean currents. Fishermen also rely on the publicly available information to gauge wind and wave conditions, while meteorologists incorporate it to improve forecasts for hurricanes and tsunamis.

Despite the initial plan to remove the instruments, the NSF stated it will halt further removal and convene an expert panel to evaluate the system’s future. The agency acknowledged some buoys and sensors off Oregon and Washington had already been taken out but indicated these would be serviced and redeployed. Edward Dever, an oceanography professor at Oregon State University overseeing operations in the region, said six of seven deep-sea moorings had been removed and that replacing them might take months due to limited vessel availability.

The move to preserve the OOI followed a Senate measure passed Wednesday by unanimous consent to block the dismantling effort. Sponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley, Democrat of Oregon, and Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, the legislation underscored broad congressional resistance to the administration’s attempts to reduce funding for climate and environmental programs. Both senators criticized the decision to proceed without adequate consultation with Congress. Murkowski highlighted the importance of the data for Alaska’s fisheries and for understanding the effects of the emerging El Niño weather pattern, which has global implications.

The NSF previously cited $48 million in annual operating cost savings as the rationale for decommissioning the system. However, lawmakers contended that the initial $368 million investment, made in 2016, remained valuable and that operating costs were minimal compared to federal spending levels. Merkley called the proposed shutdown “supreme stupidity,” reflecting widespread concern within the scientific community.

Internationally, the decision to curtail U.S. ocean monitoring spurred other responses. After the announcement of the U.S. plan, the European Union committed 92 million euros ($107 million) to enhance its own ocean observation infrastructure, a move aimed at filling some gaps left by the potential American withdrawal.

As the administration reassesses the program’s direction, the future of the OOI remains under review amid continuing pressure from Congress and scientists advocating for sustained ocean observation amid accelerating climate shifts.