Ending Two Decades Of Arctic Monitoring Threatens Global Ocean Health
by Ocean Conservancy · SCOOPTrump Administration Announces End of Federal Support for Arctic Report Card as Warming Temperatures Fuel Climate Extremes Worldwide
WASHINGTON [August 11, 2026] – The Trump administration has announced that it will end federal support for NOAA’s annual Arctic Report Card, which has provided critical reporting on the state of the region for more than 20 years. In 2025, the report found that temperatures were the warmest recorded since 1990 and that the Arctic’s annual temperatures increased at more than double the global rate since 2006, faster than anywhere else in the world. The move comes as rising global temperatures fuel record-breaking heatwaves in the ocean and communities globally. ‘Wáahlaal Gíidaak, Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President of Arctic and Northern Waters, issued the following statement in response:
“What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic. Its rapid warming has profound consequences for Arctic communities, ocean health and our global climate. We are already seeing the devastating impacts of extreme heat around the world, and those changes are even more pronounced in our ocean, which acts as a global heat sink. We cannot afford to look away from what is happening in the Arctic, or stop measuring it. We should continue to fund critical NOAA programs, such as the report card, which are essential to protecting our ocean and keeping Americans safe.”
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For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone.
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