Overview

• The Trump administration has fired 880 NOAA employees and plans to cut 1,000 more, significantly reducing the agency's capacity to support global weather and climate research.
• Australian meteorologists rely heavily on NOAA's satellite data and ocean observation programs, such as the Argo array, for accurate weather forecasting and climate modeling.
• The Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (AMOS) and the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) have raised alarms about global safety, economic risks, and the degradation of scientific capabilities due to these cuts.
• NOAA's international collaborations have been suspended unless officially approved, straining partnerships with Australian research institutions and delaying critical projects.
• Australian scientists are urging their government to diversify research partnerships and mitigate the risks posed by US science policy changes, including funding freezes and restrictive questionnaires.