On Friday, April 11, an internal memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revealed a proposal to significantly restructure the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), slashing its budget by approximately $1.7 billion—from $6.1 billion to $4.5 billion. The draft plan for the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) President’s Budget includes cutting the National Ocean Service (NOS) budget in half and fully eliminating the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).
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What is this document?
The leaked memo is a “passback”—a preliminary, internal step in the federal budget process in which OMB responds to an agency’s budget proposal with recommended funding levels and structural changes. While passbacks are typically confidential, this one has been made public, shedding light on significant proposed cuts and structural shifts at NOAA. It’s important to note that passbacks are not final. Agencies can appeal or negotiate the recommendations before the President’s final budget is submitted to Congress.
Impacts of a President’s Budget Request
The President’s Budget is not law—it’s a proposal that outlines an administration’s priorities and serves as a starting point for congressional negotiations. Especially when Congress is controlled by the same party as the White House, the request holds weight, but only Congress has the power to appropriate funds. Even if these cuts appear in the final President’s Budget Request, they are still just that—a request.
Major Proposed Changes to NOAA in FY26
Elimination of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
The passback proposes eliminating NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) entirely—cutting more than $730 million from its FY25 enacted funding and dismantling NOAA’s core weather, ocean, and atmospheric research enterprise. Programs that would be eliminated or significantly impacted include:
- Sea Grant: Zeroes out funding for the national Sea Grant program, which supports research, extension, and workforce development across 34 university-based programs in coastal and Great Lakes states
- Climate Research Programs: Terminates support for regional climate centers, cooperative institutes, and modeling efforts critical to seasonal forecasts, resilience planning, and climate assessments
- Earth System Science and Integrated Modeling: Eliminates funding for foundational climate modeling programs, undermining NOAA’s ability to support risk-informed decision-making across sectors
Some programs, such as Ocean Exploration, the Integrated Ocean Acidification Program, and Sustained Ocean Observations, are proposed to be preserved but transferred to other line offices.
Cuts to the National Ocean Service (NOS)
NOS faces a proposed budget cut of nearly 50 percent, from $671.5 million to $334.1 million. The plan would eliminate several major programs, including:
- Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS): Ends funding for regional observation networks that support public safety, fisheries, maritime navigation, and disaster response
- Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Grants: Ends grants to states for coastal resource management and planning
- National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS): Defunds a network of protected coastal areas used for long-term science, education, and stewardship
- National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF): Eliminates funding for coastal infrastructure and community resilience to flooding and extreme weather
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS): Ends research on coastal ecosystems, harmful algal blooms, and other critical topics
Restructuring of NOAA Fisheries (NMFS)
The proposal transfers responsibilities for endangered species and marine mammal protection to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, disrupting NOAA’s science-based, integrated management of marine conservation and fisheries policy.
Satellite Program Overhaul
The Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite program faces major reductions. The plan removes instruments critical to weather monitoring and proposes ending collaboration with NASA on future satellite development.
Proposed Cuts to NASA
Another leaked “passback” would also deeply cut NASA’s science programs—reducing overall funding by 20 percent and eliminating nearly half of its science budget. Major missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, Mars Sample Return, and the DAVINCI mission to Venus would be canceled. The Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland—home to approximately 10,000 employees—is also slated for closure. White House adviser Elon Musk reportedly called these plans “troubling.”
Next Steps
This proposal is not final, but it sends a strong signal about the administration’s priorities. As budget negotiations move forward, we will continue to monitor developments and report on the implications for NOAA and the future of ocean and weather science, technology, and research.
