Scientists on alert as NOAA restricts contact with foreign nationals
An email to one division said staff would now need to submit any ‘international engagement’ for approval
Staff members at a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been told this week to stop all contact with foreign nationals, including on international treaties and seafood catch limits, stoking confusion and fear among government scientists as the Trump administration begins to shape its vision for their work.
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The orders came from leaders of the National Marine Fisheries Service in all-staff meetings this week, according to multiple staff members, who spoke with The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from the new administration. And the change has put some agency work — including efforts to set annual quotas on seafood harvests — on hold for the foreseeable future.
At other branches of NOAA, international contact is facing heavy scrutiny, staff members said, raising questions about how easily they could carry out everyday efforts to monitor weather and atmospheric conditions — such as working with other countries to track tsunami risks across the Pacific Ocean, key to ensuring safety along the West Coast. NOAA produces government weather forecasts, conducts long-term climate monitoring and research, and manages the nation’s fisheries and marine mammals.
At NOAA Research, an office focused on foundational earth science, an email sent to staff Wednesday and reviewed by The Post said they would now need to submit any “international engagement” for approval, including travel, face-to-face meetings or gatherings of international organizations. As for whether that includes emails with colleagues of different nationalities, the guidance said: “Not at this time.”
“People have asked, ‘What if I have a postdoc [researcher] and they’re not a U.S. citizen?’” one fisheries employee said. “Nobody has an answer for those types of questions.”
The new instructions come as representatives of Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) Service have meanwhile taken over internal NOAA websites, employees said, removing pages devoted to diversity-focused employee affinity groups. DOGE officials have also begun gathering information on what research or grants might conflict with President Donald Trump’s executive order rooting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives out of government, they added.
more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/02/06/noaa-fisheries-international-communication-doge/
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