Employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were ordered to stop all contact with foreign nationals, including work on international treaties, participation in international commissions, and even emailing “with foreign national colleagues.”
The order, which was emailed to employees at NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) around February 5, 2025, paused “all international engagements.” NMFS employees were also ordered to submit details of their ongoing international work for vetting and approval, including travel, face-to-face meetings, or gatherings of international organizations.
The pause on communications also includes the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), which uses weather and climate data from international partners to combat drought, monitor habitat destruction, and safeguard air transportation and railway shipping from dangerous weather.