In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson founded the nation’s first scientific agency. It was tasked with surveying the coasts of the United States. Roughly 60 years later, a national weather bureau was created, and a fish and fisheries commission soon followed. The focus of these three agencies was eventually brought together in 1970 as part of the new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. Today, agency staff study the ocean and atmosphere, share knowledge, and conserve coastal and marine ecosystems. Under the new administration of Donald Trump, this agency with 218-year-old roots is undergoing another significant change — one that experts fear could significantly hamper NOAA’s work.
In fiscal year 2024, NOAA accounted for more than half of the Department of Commerce’s budget and, as of recently, it had about 12,000 employees worldwide. The agency has a broad portfolio of activities, including gathering data and monitoring oceans, the atmosphere, fisheries, and marine life. The National Weather Service, a NOAA sub-agency, provides weather forecasts that include watches and warnings used to protect people and their property. To carry out its work, NOAA has at its disposal an array of tools, including satellites, airplanes, weather balloons, maritime buoys, and radar systems.
