In May, without warning, the federal government announced plans to dismantle a network of ocean monitoring systems that had cost over $350 million. Suspicion immediately centered on the OOI’s role in tracking climate change, but it provides crucial data for weather forecasting and fisheries management too.

Now, opposition has prevailed, and the government will announce it is reversing its decision to shut down the Ocean Observatories Initiative. The big question remains: how much damage was done during the intervening month?

The OOI serves as a vital federally supported resource, providing ocean data for academic researchers, government planners, and private companies. Equipped with arrays in both Atlantic and Pacific locations, it monitors currents, salinity, chemical levels, temperatures, and tectonic activity.

Today's reversal comes after widespread opposition, with Zoe Lofgren, the ranking Democrat on the House Science Committee, confirming the decision. The federal government has yet to issue a formal statement, but The New York Times reports it will be announced later today.