By Mary O’KEEFE

Some good news … the Trump Administration on June 18 officially stated it will not go ahead with plans to dismantle the important ocean monitoring system known as the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI).  

OOI was established in 2013 and has about 900 instruments in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. As I wrote on June 11, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the agency that funds the $385 million deep-ocean system, stated it would be pulling up the instruments. 

“The decision ‘aligns with NSF’s wider strategy of a nimbler approach to prioritize support for evolving scientific priorities and emerging technologies, as well as smart lifecycle management within its research infrastructure portfolio,’” said Mike England, head of Media Affairs at NSF, as reported on CNN.

However, there was quite a bit of backlash, not only from scientists but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. It appears that backlash made a dent in the decision and last Thursday the NSF said it will stop the removal of the instruments.

“The U.S. National Science Foundation appreciates the concerns raised by the range of stakeholders [who] have informed us they rely on data from the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). Effective immediately, NSF will not proceed with further removal or descoping of equipment from the remaining arrays and will continue operations including planned maintenance. While the Endurance Array has been removed from the water, we are developing plans to redeploy the equipment after servicing,” stated NSF.

It was also stated NSF would issue a “Dear Colleague Letter” to stakeholders and convene an expert panel to assess the observational needs. 

Senators Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, and Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, released a joint statement calling for the pause of the dismantling plan. 

“We are calling out an SOS – Save Ocean Sensors!” said Merkley. “Dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative is supreme stupidity, costing taxpayers millions of dollars and destroying a vital source of climate data. Our simple, bipartisan bill blocks this incredibly short-sighted decision and preserves these critical ocean monitoring sensors that keep coastal communities and fishers safe.”

“The NSF started the OOI system a decade ago to help communities prepare for significant weather events, predict fisheries disasters and bolster maritime safety efforts. In Alaska, the Global Station Papa Array has been instrumental in doing just that as our coastal communities work to adapt and become more resilient amidst an ever-changing marine environment,” said Murkowski. “I’m grateful to my colleagues in the Senate for approving this legislation unanimously and helping to ensure that stakeholders and industry experts are consulted to keep our scientific researchers, our fishermen and our communities equipped with this essential information.”

They called to block federal funds in the dismantling of the equipment. 

I think this is an appropriate time for this to happen as it shows that our governing system, which has been in place for 250 years, works – at least in this case.

OOI has been collecting data since 2013 and provides about seven terabytes of data used by the community each month. 

“Over the last decade it has tracked ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, climate change and extreme weather, producing data freely available to the public and informing more than 500 scientific publications. The project was slated to run another 15 to 20 years,” according to The Current, In-Depth Journalism for Coastal Georgia. 

“Knowledge itself is power.” This quote, and various versions, has been attributed to English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon in 1597, to Thomas Hobbes, also a philosopher, in 1688, Imam Ali in the 7th century and a phrase often used by our Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, especially when he advocated for state universities. 

That quote remains as true today as it has over the centuries. But there are some who are really, truly afraid of knowledge, which is something I don’t understand. So, as is normal for me, I look to science fiction for an explanation. 

“If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.” ― Isaac Asimov

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” ― Isaac Asimov

There is a heat advisory today from NOAA. Temperatures will be heading into the high 80s, possible low 90s. Due to the heat advisory, NOAA advises people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check in on relatives and neighbors. 

“Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke,” advises NOAA.

Temperatures will continue in the high 80s on Friday then drop to the mid to low 70s on Saturday through Tuesday. There is no rain or strong winds in the forecast as of press time.