U.S. pulling ocean sensors a 'shock' for Canadian research as El Niño nears

The U.S. is dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a network of over 900 ocean sensors, with the National Science Foundation expected to complete the shutdown by 2027. The closure is particularly problematic for Canadian and Pacific researchers who rely on this data for climate research, fisheries management, and emergency planning, especially as an El Niño event is expected this summer. Scientists argue the timing is devastating because detecting meaningful climate signals requires 25-30 years of continuous data, and the initiative was only 10 years into its operation.