Policy – Southern Fried Science

Isn’t ironic, don’t you think: dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative on World Oceans Day

June 9, 2026June 9, 2026 Southern Fried Science No Comments

Climate change, Featured, Policy, Science

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is pulling the plug on the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), systematically dismantling one of the world’s most advanced deep-sea monitoring networks. This aggressive “descoping” plan means hundreds of high-tech instruments are actively being hauled out of the water. The timing of this infrastructure rollback carries a painful, bitter irony. The … Read More “Isn’t ironic, don’t you think: dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative on World Oceans Day” »

Deep-sea Mining, Domestic Cats, Star Trek, and Ocean Exploration: Andrew’s mid-year podcast round-up.

June 6, 2026 Andrew Thaler

Policy, Popular Culture, Science

The first six months of 2026 have been busy. Between writing for my OpEd fellowship, working on congressional testimony, drafting my upcoming book on the use and misuse of the deep sea, and, well, working an actual job because I still have to keep my family fed and my daughter has developed a taste for … Read More “Deep-sea Mining, Domestic Cats, Star Trek, and Ocean Exploration: Andrew’s mid-year podcast round-up.” »

I just told 850 shark scientists a hard truth: We’re not communicating shark conservation correctly.

June 1, 2026 David Shiffman

Conservation, Education, Policy, Science

At the 2026 Sharks International conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, I was invited to present my research on the causes and consequences of public misunderstanding of shark conservation issues. The meeting brought together more than 850 shark scientists and conservation professionals from 84 countries, a new record for the conference. Here’s what I told them. … Read More “I just told 850 shark scientists a hard truth: We’re not communicating shark conservation correctly.” »

Loot, pillage and ransack the oceans: unpacking the 2026 Trump Administration ocean science budget

April 13, 2026 Southern Fried Science

Policy

The 2026 budget proposal from the Trump administration just dropped, and if you’re a fan of having a functional ocean, breathable air … or whales, you might want to sit down. We’ve seen “lean” budgets before, but this isn’t a haircut; it’s a lobotomy of U.S. marine science that shifts our entire blue backyard from … Read More “Loot, pillage and ransack the oceans: unpacking the 2026 Trump Administration ocean science budget” »

How to fix the UN Decade of Ocean Science

April 9, 2026 Chris Parsons

Exploration, Oceanography for Everyone, Open Science, Policy, Science

In a previous post an uncomfortable reality was highlighted: that the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) has, so far, delivered more branding than transformation. Despite much initial hyping, it has really failed to deliver on its promises so far. That may sound harsh. But halfway through the decade, its biggest outputs … Read More “How to fix the UN Decade of Ocean Science” »

Phantom science – how “AI slop” is making environmental policy

March 30, 2026March 31, 2026 Chris Parsons 1 Comment

Academic life, Policy, Science

There’s a new specter haunting environmental governance, and it doesn’t rattle ghostly chains, it’s its generating phantom science. Recently, I was reading a government report trying to find scientific justifications for environmental actions when I ran into some citations that looked interesting. So, I tried to look them up. Despite a full, official looking citation … Read More “Phantom science – how “AI slop” is making environmental policy” »

Talking about deep-sea mining, permitting, and my recent congressional briefing on How to Protect the Ocean.

February 6, 2026 Andrew Thaler

Policy

Last week, I joined Andrew Lewin on How to Protect the Ocean to talk about my recent congressional briefing, the experience of testifying in front of congress, and the potential consequences of deep-sea mining. A few key points of my testimony, and my response to Congresswoman Dexter, were clipped by Forbes. I think they’re worth … Read More “Talking about deep-sea mining, permitting, and my recent congressional briefing on How to Protect the Ocean.” »

Walking Backwards Into the Future: Applying Indigenous Knowledge to Deep Sea Mining

February 5, 2026 Angelo Villagomez

Conservation, Featured, Policy

The Trump administration argues that opening America’s seafloor to deep sea mining is essential for strengthening our economy and securing our energy future. But from a Pacific Islander perspective, this rush to extract metals from the ocean – especially near the Mariana Trench and American Samoa – ignores hard-earned lessons and risks repeating past mistakes. … Read More “Walking Backwards Into the Future: Applying Indigenous Knowledge to Deep Sea Mining” »

The Urgency Does Not Exist: My statement on Deep-sea Mining to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

January 24, 2026January 24, 2026 Andrew Thaler

Featured, Policy

This week, I was invited to testify in front of Congress on the environmental and social impacts of deep-sea mining for the House Natural Resources Committee hearing Deep Dive: Examining the Regulatory and Statutory Barriers to Deep Sea Mining. In my opening statement, I touched on three critical points: the lack of urgency to access … Read More “The Urgency Does Not Exist: My statement on Deep-sea Mining to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources” »

Bipartisan Concern Expressed Over Deep Sea Mining at Congressional Hearing

January 23, 2026 Angelo Villagomez

Conservation, Featured, News, Policy

On January 22, 2026 the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing titled “Deep Dive: Examining the Regulatory and Statutory Barriers to Deep Sea Mining.” The hearing revealed significant bipartisan resistance to deep-sea mining in the US Pacific territories, including a unified position from Republican members Radewagen of American … Read More “Bipartisan Concern Expressed Over Deep Sea Mining at Congressional Hearing” »