The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a critical component of Earth's climate system, yet it is under severe threat of being discontinued due to funding cuts. This is a dire situation, as the AMOC plays a crucial role in regulating global climate, and its weakening or collapse could have catastrophic consequences for Europe and the world. The AMOC is a vast system of ocean currents that moves heat from the south to the north in the Atlantic Ocean, and its changes can impact food security, coastal flooding, storms, energy demand, migration, infrastructure planning, and more. The current climate change is already causing the AMOC to weaken, and there is little consensus on when and how fast this will occur. This uncertainty makes it difficult for policymakers to implement adaptive strategies to reduce financial loss and impact on human lives. The situation is made worse by the fact that the AMOC is already under threat of being discontinued due to funding cuts. The Trump administration has proposed budget cuts to NASA, NOAA, and NSF, which provide about 50% of the total AMOC monitoring budget. Additionally, the Ocean Observing Initiative, which was part of a program observing the AMOC, has been descoped. The European OceanEye initiative has allocated €50m for ocean observations, but this is not enough to sustain the current observing systems. The cost of all AMOC monitoring adds up to about €25m a year, which is a small price to pay for the safety and resilience of our world. The AMOC monitoring initiatives are at risk of being defunded and could be discontinued at any moment. This is a critical situation, and it is essential that the EU, the UK, and other international partners step up and collaborate to assure long-term continuation of AMOC monitoring. Without sustained AMOC observations, we cannot know what lies ahead, and the consequences of an AMOC collapse could be catastrophic. The AMOC is a complex and vital system, and its monitoring and understanding should be treated as an urgent, global priority. We must act now to secure the future of our planet and the well-being of our societies.
