Ocean scientists let go by Trump at a critical juncture
Sound the alarm! The boot's dropped on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), leaving more than a thousand souls jobless in the past couple of weeks. That's right, bub, the nation's weather and climate agency is playing a nasty game of musical chairs, and those left standing are set for a roller coaster ride.
Before we dive into the storm, let's talk about the incredible work Heather Welch, an ecologist at NOAA for nearly a decade, did before getting her pink slip. Her task? Keeping ships and whales from inadvertently butting heads in the US West Coast waters. Using her marine animal mapping expertise, she ensured that ships navigated safely while avoiding senseless collisions with sea lions, turtles, and other critters. Sadly, she's just one of many who have been shown the door.
Welch and the others weren't just playing dress-up for a day. They were part of a team providing essential climate data to fisheries, and now their departure leaves a gaping hole. As the oceans undergo extreme change, explained through heat records shattered for 450 straight days in 2023 and 2024, we can't afford to take our eyes off the water. Climate change is fueling more intense hurricanes, driving high sea level rise, and causing coral reef bleaching – events with deep impacts for humans, wildlife, and economies.
The ocean's fascinating ecosystem is under threat, and the layoffs at NOAA couldn't have come at a worse time. Scientists warn that if we don't maintain our vigilance, we risk losing key observations of the changes happening beneath the waves – some of which still remain largely unexplained.
NOAA's reach is far and wide – playing a crucial role in monitoring the oceans, providing free data to businesses who leverage it to improve their products, and fueling climate models for scientists to predict the future based on questions like, "What will sea level rise look like in 50 years?" or "What will the weather look like in 50 years?"
Then there are the looming disasters. Without accurate forecasts of storm severity and location, "we're going to have more people in harm's way," warns Cooley, a former NOAA employee. Another concern is the impact layoffs will have on NOAA's work predicting and understanding El Niño and La Niña events, natural climate fluctuations that have a vast impact on global weather patterns.
The impacts don't stop there. Disruptions to research on ocean acidification and marine carbon dioxide removal could hinder international efforts to mitigate environmental crises[2]. The reduction in staff could impede NOAA's ability to improve climate models[4] and lead to gaps in understanding climate trends and predicting future changes[4]. Staffing shortages could compromise NOAA's ability to provide accurate and timely weather forecasts, including warnings for hurricanes, wildfires, and floods[1][3].
Ultimately, these layoffs raise concerns about public safety, economic stability, and the U.S.'s role in global environmental research and policy. It's a whirlpool we can't afford to let swallow us whole. #SaveOurNOAA!
- Heather Welch, an oceanography expert at NOAA, faced layoffs despite her vital work in protecting marine wildlife and ensuring safe navigation in the US West Coast waters.
- The ongoing climate crisis, with 450 days of shattered heat records in 2023 and 2024, illustrates the urgency of maintaining essential climate data collection, a task now threatened due to heavy layoffs at NOAA.
- The layoffs at NOAA have far-reaching implications, potentially hindering climate models, disrupting research on ocean acidification and marine carbon dioxide removal, and compromising the agency's ability to provide accurate and timely weather forecasts, endangering public safety and economic stability.
