Sources say quarter of NOAA Northeast fisheries staff gone

Updated 3:17 pm

The Trump administration’s continued onslaught against the federal workforce is leading to percolating rumors of further cuts in the halls of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Woods Hole laboratory — the nation’s oldest marine research station.

WCAI first reported that the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, a research arm of NOAA Fisheries that has a Woods Hole facility, has experienced a 27 percent staff reduction since President Donald Trump took office in January. The Fisheries Center consists of five offices across the Northeast that employ more than 400 employees. Citing anonymous sources who feared retribution if identified, WCAI reported that the reduction in staff included people who took early retirements and voluntary separations. New hires and probationary employees were also cut by the administration. 

An anonymous employee from the Woods Hole branch verified with The Times that an email had been sent out to staff reporting that 27 percent of the staff had been reduced. He told The Times that at least two employees, an administrator and a field technician, had been cut from the local branch as well, although he said that there may be more who were let go. The employee also said they are bracing for more staffing cuts coming in the next few months. 

The employee also said leadership of the Northeast Fisheries Center are being cautious, as there are rumours that the Trump administration may replace them with political appointees. 

He said there are concerns among staffers on whether they would be abruptly cut off from their files if they were fired, as has been the case in other agencies. 

“The next thing I have to worry about is whether I’ll have any funds to do our research,” the employee said. That’s if his position isn’t terminated. 

The Times was not able to independently verify the information provided by the employee. 

“Per longstanding practice, we are not discussing internal personnel and management matters, nor do we do speculative interviews,” Rachel Hager, a NOAA spokesperson, wrote in an email. 

Nicole Cabana, deputy director of Northeast Fisheries Science Center, did not return The Times’ request for comment. Other officials referred The Times to a NOAA spokesperson. 

Dismantling scientific institutions was a fear hundreds of advocates and scientists expressed — some of whom had already lost their jobs in the federal staffing cuts — during a Woods Hole rally in March. 

Suzanne Pelisson, spokesperson for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said the Fisheries Center’s work is essential to preserving sustainable fisheries and ocean environments, educating the public, and “supporting the blue economy.” She said funding cuts to vital programs would have “far-reaching and potentially significant consequences.” 

“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 U.S. prosperity, health, and national security,” Pelisson’s statement reads in part. “We continue to monitor ongoing changes to federal funding, as well as potential reductions at key federal agencies that could impact U.S. leadership in oceanography and many other scientific fields.”

U.S. Congressman Bill Keating, a House Democrat who represents the Vineyard and Woods Hole, criticized federal staffing cuts as a threat to the sciences.

“The attacks on science by this administration are real, and they’re being felt both by those directly engaged in the Woods Hole science community and by those in the region who are engaged in an economy supported by the scientists who live and work here,” Keatings said in a statement. “These are shortsighted decisions focused on cutting essential federal investment in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Cutting programs that fund research and scientific activities in Woods Hole and around the country will weaken our economy, and cede progress and innovation to China and other competitors in these sectors.”

The White House fiscal year 2026 discretionary budget request aims to cut $1.311 billion from NOAA to terminate “a variety of climate-dominated research, data, and grant programs” that, according to the budgetary request, don’t align with Trump administration’s policy to end Green New Deal initiatives. The Trump administration also claimed NOAA’s educational grants “have consistently funded efforts to radicalize students against markets and spread environmental alarm.” 

WCAI reported that the Woods Hole branch also faced other staffing challenges recently. A lapse in a janitorial contract led to NOAA staffers being told they were responsible for emptying their trash and recycling, alongside cleaning restrooms, at the end of each day. The lack of janitorial services also led the Woods Hole Science Aquarium to be temporarily closed. Additionally, staffers were told that gate closures and windows would no longer be handled by maintenance, so they were expected to manage security matters.

Updated with a comment from Suzanne Pelisson