In a move that has been met with criticism from environmental advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers, the Trump administration has begun cutting jobs at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Oceana US Vice President Beth Lowell said:
“Our oceans have become political carnage, but the real victims are hardworking Americans – the people you care about – and our future generations. These are American jobs that warn us about severe weather, protect our most vulnerable marine life like whales and turtles, ensure abundant fisheries, and maintain a healthy ocean for those whose livelihoods depend on it. We’re calling on Congress to save NOAA from these disastrous cuts, while also protecting American jobs, communities, and the oceans.”
Joel Johnson, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, called the layoffs “a devastating blow to the health of our national marine sanctuaries and the coastal communities that depend on them,” adding:
“Over 9.5 million coastal residents live adjacent to sanctuaries based on US census data. With zero public input, and no report to Congress or Governors, America has lost dedicated scientists, enforcement officers, and environmental specialists who safeguard our most iconic waters in over a dozen states. These cuts weaken the public-private partnerships that drive research, monitoring, and emergency response efforts, jeopardizing fisheries, local tourism, and recreation that generate billions for sanctuary communities across the country.
“National marine sanctuaries are economic anchors, protecting people, nature, and property while preserving America’s maritime history. With families preparing for spring break, teachers seeking outdoor classrooms, and businesses gearing up for peak tourism, NOAA staff shortages leave sanctuaries and communities vulnerable. Imagine a whale-watching tour setting out at dawn encountering an oil spill from an abandoned vessel threatening the summer season. The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is actively removing the Verna, a derelict vessel fouling a California beach that receives over 50,000 visitors a year. Without NOAA’s full capacity, who will protect and restore these waters, which also include USS Monitor and other historic shipwrecks that were the final resting places of American sailors and soldiers?
“The Trump Administration and Secretary Lutnick should be fully transparent on the extent of these layoffs, including which roles were affected at NOAA. The public deserves to know how this loss will impact sanctuary management requirements under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, American businesses reliant on sanctuaries, and our maritime heritage. Restoring NOAA’s workforce must be a priority to safeguard these treasured places in our ocean and Great Lakes for current and future generations.”
Jeff Watters, the Ocean Conservancy’s vice president of external affairs, said:
“The indiscriminate firing of employees is going to sabotage NOAA’s ability to do essential work that every single American relies on. NOAA is the eyes and ears for our water and air – the agency tracks our weather and climate; monitors tides and surf forecasts; allows for the safe deployment and navigation of satellites, ships, and doppler radar. It acts as a first responder with its weather and hurricane emergency alerts; its tsunami warning centers; its oil spill response capabilities; its marine mammal stranding network; and its harmful algal blooms early warning systems. NOAA even keeps seafood on the table. Americans depend on NOAA each and every day, and so does the health of the ocean.”
US Senator Maria Cantwell said on X:
“The firings jeopardize our ability to forecast and respond to extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods—putting communities in harm’s way. They also threaten our maritime commerce and endanger 1.7 million jobs that depend on commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries, including thousands in the State of Washington. This action is a direct hit to our economy, because NOAA’s specialized workforce provides products and services that support more than a third of the nation’s GDP.”
US Representative Jared Huffman said:
“Hundreds of scientists and experts at NOAA just received the news every federal worker has been dreading. Musk and his fake officials, the DOGE tech bros, have been rummaging through our most sensitive data without authority in violation of the law for weeks now. And this has come with sweeping, indiscriminate layoffs of nonpartisan public servants. Park rangers, firefighters, scientists – all of these people, whose purpose is to serve everyday Americans, have had the rug pulled out from under them. And we will all be worse off for it.
“Musk’s sham mission is bringing vital programs to a screeching halt. People nationwide depend on NOAA for free, accurate forecasts, severe weather alerts, and emergency information. Purging the government of scientists, experts, and career civil servants and slashing fundamental programs will cost lives. My Democratic colleagues and I will keep fighting back in state and federal courts, in the halls of Congress, and the court of public opinion. This is a betrayal of the American people, and it will not stand.”
UPDATE: A US district court judge on Thursday evening ordered the government to revoke its directives to fire federal employees, saying:
“Congress has given the authority to hire and fire to the agencies themselves. The Department of Defense, for example, has statutory authority to hire and fire. The Office of Personnel Management does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire and fire employees at another agency. They can hire and fire their own employees.”
