Going Dark: U.S. Dismantles Key Climate Monitoring System

The dismantling of the Ocean Observatories Initiative eliminates critical real-time monitoring of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a system of ocean currents essential to global climate stability. Without continuous data, scientists cannot detect whether the AMOC is approaching a tipping point that could trigger a catastrophic shutdown affecting climate worldwide. This loss comes precisely when such monitoring is most vital, as climate change increasingly threatens this critical ocean system.