As revealed by Fairfax Media, vandalism by fishing fleets and cuts in spending on regular maintenance visits have led to a 40 per cent reduction in the flow of information from the buoys. The slide is continuing.

"The implosion of the TAO is a real tragedy for the oceanographic and climate community," said Mike McPhaden, a principal scientist with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and former manager of the array.

The TAO, set up after a huge El Nino weather system surprised scientists in 1982-83, delivers critical real-time observation of atmospheric conditions and those of the sea down to 500 metres below the buoys. El Ninos, and their opposite pattern, La Ninas, typically shift rain east or west over the Pacific, often bringing drought or heavy rains to many parts of the world, including Australia.

Early warning of an El Nino could save farmers millions of dollars by helping them modify their choice of crop and the timing of planting. The cost of the US portion of the array - 55 buoys in a total of just under 70 - is about $US10 million ($11.4 million) a year.

"[TAO] pays tremendous dividends for countries such as Australia and the US, where El Ninos and La Ninas have significant impacts on our patterns of weather variability," Dr McPhaden said.