Leading climate scientist leaves noaa after trump administration derailed her shift from research to solutions

After dedicating 16 years to studying climate change impacts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, marine ecologist Libby Jewett was ready for a new challenge. In 2023, she stepped down from her pioneering role as founding director of NOAA’s ocean acidification program, hoping to transition her expertise toward developing climate solutions rather than just documenting problems.

Jewett’s career trajectory represents a broader shift many climate scientists are seeking—moving beyond research that confirms the reality of environmental damage toward work that actively addresses it. As the architect of America’s ocean acidification monitoring program, she had spent years documenting how increasing carbon dioxide levels are making seawater more acidic, threatening marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Her next goal was to focus on offshore wind energy development, representing the kind of solution-oriented work that could help combat the very problems she had spent years studying.

However, Jewett’s plans were disrupted during the Trump administration, when political interference affected NOAA’s operations and scientific priorities. The setbacks ultimately contributed to her decision to leave the agency entirely, joining what experts describe as a historic exodus of experienced scientists from NOAA over the past year.

Jewett’s departure highlights the ongoing challenges facing federal climate science agencies, where political pressures can derail both research initiatives and the careers of dedicated scientists. The full impact of this brain drain from NOAA—one of America’s most important climate monitoring agencies—remains unclear, but the loss of institutional knowledge and expertise could have lasting consequences for the nation’s ability to address environmental challenges.