NOAA layoffs threaten U.S. leadership in ocean science
The mass firings at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Trump administration are crippling the agency’s ability to conduct vital ocean and climate research, raising fears that the U.S. will fall behind in global science.
Madeline Ostrander reports for bioGraphic.
In short:
- NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program, which has studied how carbon pollution harms marine life since 2009, lost its newly appointed director in a wave of layoffs that cut 10% of the agency’s workforce.
- The firings, driven by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have also disrupted NOAA’s global collaborations and its ability to monitor oceanic and atmospheric changes.
- Researchers warn that the cuts threaten U.S. competitiveness in critical fields like marine carbon dioxide removal and international fisheries negotiations.
Key quote:
“I find the situation at NOAA … very, very concerning. I think it will hurt the U.S. a lot.”
— Jean-Pierre Gattuso, oceanographer, French National Centre for Scientific Research
Why this matters:
From ocean acidification to climate modeling, NOAA’s work underpins global efforts to understand and mitigate environmental crises. The gutting of NOAA under the Trump administration is a direct hit on our ability to understand and respond to the climate crisis, leaving communities and ecosystems vulnerable to intensifying storms, heat waves, and ocean disruptions.
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