Europe Moves Toward Scientific Independence as US Cuts Ocean Data Funding

By Staff, Agencies

European governments are accelerating efforts to reduce dependence on U.S. climate data after major cuts to American scientific research under President Donald Trump.

Since January, the Trump administration has slashed funding to agencies including NOAA, the EPA, and NIH—dismantling climate, weather, and health research programs and taking key public datasets offline.

Trump has labeled climate science “fake Green New Scam science,” while his budget office claimed the U.S. is now “funding real science.”

The cuts have raised alarm in Europe. “The current situation is much worse than we could have expected,” said Sweden’s State Secretary for Education and Research, Maria Nilsson.

The Danish Meteorological Institute described U.S. datasets as “absolutely vital” for monitoring sea ice, ocean temperatures, and issuing extreme weather warnings.

In response, more than a dozen European nations are pushing the EU to boost its own data capabilities and even recruit American scientists affected by the cuts.

Officials from seven countries—including Germany, Denmark, and Sweden—are coordinating efforts to safeguard critical climate and health data.

The EU is also expanding its European Marine Observation and Data Network to cover areas like shipping routes, sea-level rise, and marine pollution.

A senior EU official said the goal is to “mirror and possibly replace” U.S.-based systems.

The U.S. currently funds 57% of Argo, a key global ocean monitoring program, but the White House plans to slash NOAA’s budget by $1.8 billion in 2026 and eliminate the agency’s main research arm.

Europe, which currently contributes 23% to Argo, is considering stepping up its role.

Meanwhile, countries like Norway, Germany, and Denmark have begun backing up U.S. data or shifting to alternative sources.

Scientists have launched urgent “guerrilla archiving” efforts to preserve U.S. datasets before they disappear.

“This marks a turning point,” one European official noted. “The U.S. has long led in climate science, but it’s now becoming a point of failure.”