John Basile: The Trump administration is laying off hundreds of scientists and weather forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In Woods Hole, where five major scientific institutions are based, and climate, weather and environment research is the culture and economy, the impacts are far-reaching. CAI’s Eve Zuckoff is here with a closer look at that. Hi, Eve.
Eve Zuckoff: Hi, John.
John Basile: First of all, would you give us a sense of where these job cuts fit in the national picture?
Eve Zuckoff: Well, Trump said last week during the first cabinet meeting of his second term, “We are cutting down the size of the government. We have to. We’re bloated. We’re sloppy. We have a lot of people that aren’t doing their job.” So that is what we’re seeing. There are more than 2 million federal workers in the United States. Thousands have already taken buyouts or been laid off. And that’s across departments and agencies like the Department of Energy, International Revenue Service, National Parks and more than a dozen others.
John Basile: So if you would, walk us through the known layoffs and funding freezes that have reached Woods Hole.
Eve Zuckoff: Sure. So we have seen layoffs within the Woods Hole offices for the United States Geological Survey, USGS, and the National Oceanic Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA. We’ve heard different numbers from different people, but there are reports of as many as 15 to 25 cuts from NOAA locally. And we’re told their firings are stoking this culture of fear and uncertainty. I spoke with an employee who did not want to be named for fear of losing their job. They’ve worked in NOAA’s Woods Hole branch for a number of years and described, “the lowest morale that I’ve ever seen.” Now, Trump has been getting more criticism from his own base for budget cuts and funding freezes, but he hasn’t signaled they’re ending. And a statement from Terry Frady and NOAA’s spokesperson in Woods Hole didn’t give us a sense of what’s next. She said, “We aren’t commenting further on transition activities or what may or may not happen in the future. Per longstanding practice, we are not discussing internal personnel and management affairs.”
John Basile: Now, aside from NOAA, Woods Hole is home to other major scientific institutions. Are they at risk as well?
Eve Zuckoff: That is the question that’s giving a lot of Woods Hole researchers anxiety. I mean, as the Falmouth Enterprise first reported, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) received almost $200 million in 2023 from the federal government for research. In a statement we got last night, a spokesperson for WHOI said they are concerned about, “ongoing uncertainty.” And the Woodwell Climate Research Center and the Marine Biological Laboratory each received millions in federal funding as well. So if funding is cut to NOAA and USGS, first of all, there could be a data shortage for people who study weather, climate change, and marine life. And second of all, the actual research that’s done by these Woods Hole institutions could be put on ice even as environmental challenges persist, or grow in many cases.
John Basile: Now, what happens to Woods Hole if all these institutions lose their federal funds?
Eve Zuckoff: Well, look, we can’t really speculate yet on what’s coming next. There’s still a lot in flux. Like, for example, just yesterday the National Science Foundation, which directs a lot of the grants that fund the research in Woods Hole, announced plans to reinstate most of its laid-off employees after a court decision. It might be short-lived. But still, members of the Woods Hole business and science community who I talked with are really worried about the worst-case scenarios here because while Woods Hole relies on tourism, like everywhere else on the Cape, it’s unique. The science institutions collectively employ something around 2,000 people, representing a major chunk of the year-round economy on the Upper Cape, at the very least. So if the science community is really hamstrung, there will be downstream effects felt across the community: at grocery stores, daycares, restaurants, so much more. And all of that is why on Friday there will be a “Stand Up for Science 2025” rally in Woods Hole. It’s 12-to-1 pm at Waterfront Park, part of a national movement, and billed as an opportunity to, “defend science as a public good.”
John Basile: That is CAI’s Eve Zuckoff. Eve, thanks for coming in this morning.
Eve Zuckoff: Thanks, John.
Full statement from WHOI spokesperson:
“WHOI works closely with multiple federal funding agencies to conduct research that has had profound impacts on society and led to discoveries and innovations that promote American prosperity, health, and national security. We are concerned about the ongoing uncertainty surrounding science, technology, and education funding and the potential personnel and funding cuts that would undermine U.S. leadership in oceanography and many other scientific fields. As always, WHOI remains committed to our mission of independent, rigorous, and high-integrity ocean science that benefits the lives and livelihoods of people everywhere.”
This story was originally published by CAI. It was shared as part of the New England News Collaborative.
