John J. Cullen
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johncullenocean.bsky.social
John J. Cullen
@johncullenocean.bsky.social

Professor Emeritus in Oceanography, Dalhousie University. 🇨🇦🧪🌊 I've spent a long time trying to understand and explain how the ocean works.

Environmental science 44%
Geology 22%

Reposted by John J. Cullen

Dismantling NCAR @ncar-ucar.bsky.social is a bad decision for many reasons. NSF’s investment in NCAR scientists, technical staff, facilities and research products supports and catalyzes atmosphere, ocean, and Earth system science across the nation and world with a substantial ROI.

Reposted by John J. Cullen

As James says, this isn't even about climate.

It's about all the tools, platforms, models, datasets we use to study and forecast weather and understand how it impacts people, too.
These people are nuts. NCAR developed the GPS dropsonde, which revolutionized the understanding of TC structure, improved forecasts, and validated remote sensing platforms, as documented in over 400 peer-reviewed publications in the last 25 years. And that’s just one of NCAR’s countless advances.
Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.
🌊 Last night, Hervé Claustre was awarded the Prince Albert I Medal for his scientific contributions to the @bgc-argo.bsky.social programme. Congratulations to him on this well-deserved honour, and a wonderful recognition for #Argo too.

@imev-mer.fr @cnrs.fr @oceanomonaco.bsky.social #OneArgo
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
Her sister wrote my favorite essay about her. She points out that RF would have been famous even if she'd never looked at DNA

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Remembering my sister Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin died of ovarian cancer in 1958 aged 37 years. Sympathy and feminism have combined to give us her familiar image as a downtrodden woman scientist, brilliant but neglected, a heroine t...
www.thelancet.com

The question about additionality stands, but more importantly, what about the foundational assumptions: 1) All of the carbon in oyster biomass is sequestered from the atmosphere for decades (false - it is respired), and 2) All of the sedimented organic carbon is permanently buried (evidence?).

🌊 Post from Jay Cullen took me to the PNAS article on oyster farming as mCDR. Seems that farmed oyster biomass is counted as sequestered carbon for climate change mitigation. No mention of what happens to oyster carbon after we eat it. Maybe I read it wrong.

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Reposted by John J. Cullen

I knew that Haber-Bosch uses 1% of the world’s energy to produces fixed nitrogen needed for food production, without which 2-3 billion people would starve to death. But I didn’t know the whole story. Thanks to @pauldauenhauer.bsky.social for the book recommendation.
The Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager: 9780307351791 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
A sweeping history of tragic genius, cutting-edge science, and the Haber-Bosch discovery that changed billions of lives—including your own. At the dawn of the twentieth century, humanity was facing....
www.penguinrandomhouse.com

Reposted by John J. Cullen

Save the date! The Ocean Sciences Meeting is coming to Glasgow, Scotland, 22-27 Feb 2026—the first OSM outside the US! 🌍 Join scientists, students, journalists, & more to grow our global ocean community, foster partnerships & build a sustainable future. #OSM26 @agu.org @tosoceanography.bsky.social

Reposted by John J. Cullen

We've been hearing a lot about potash lately — the massive Canadian export in the eye of the U.S. tariff storm. Wondering what it is? We've got you covered: thenarwhal.ca/potash-us-ta...
What is potash? A Canadian export at centre of U.S. tariffs | The Narwhal
Everything you need to know about potash as Canada - U.S. tariff talks put this critical mineral big in Saskatchewan in focus
thenarwhal.ca

Reposted by John J. Cullen

The arguments about uncertain global effects and limited efficacy have been supported by others for years.

One more thing: if harmful blooms or hypoxic fish kills happen anywhere that is influenced by OIF, legal fingers will point, deservedly or not.

Who will underwrite liability insurance?
🌊
Trump just revoked the ability for foreign students to enroll at Harvard. Every foreign student, which is in the thousands, enrolled for next year at Harvard will not be able to continue studying if this isn't challenged in court.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...
Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students
www.nytimes.com

Congratulations to Philip Boyd FRS!

FYI, he is a leading expert on marine CDR. His publications have revealed what we know, what we don’t, and what we must learn and do before proceeding with ocean manipulations.

Essential science that can cut through hype.

🌊🧪

www.utas.edu.au/about/news-a...
Carbon, climate, and a Royal honour: Professor Boyd recognised for ocean science leadership
www.utas.edu.au

Reposted by John J. Cullen

🚨 Breaking: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions

1️⃣ Removes/demotes division director leaders

2️⃣ Forced layoff notices to NSF staff going out tonight

3️⃣ More grant terminations expected tomorrow

One glimmer of hope: the 8 directorates appear to be staying
Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions
Changes seen as a response to presidential directives on what research to fund
www.science.org

Reposted by John J. Cullen

Reposted by John J. Cullen

I was in the process of hiring a postdoc, so this severely affects her career because now she has to look for something else. It also means I can't pay my existing people, can't buy supplies for the lab, and can't travel. Every NSF-funded researcher will be in the same boat soon.
🔔BREAKING🔔

The NSF has frozen all research grant awards—cutting off life-saving science midstream and demanding ideological screenings for future funding.

This is censorship disguised as oversight.

Here’s how you can help us spread the word ➡️🧵(1/3):
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Exclusive: NSF stops awarding new grants and funding existing ones
US science funder also plans to screen grant applications for compliance with ‘agency priorities’.
www.nature.com

Delighted to see that Scott Doney has been honored with election to the NAS. His research represents truly interdisciplinary oceanography at its best, he has been a standout in public service, and (dare we say this about scientists?) he is a model of generosity and kindness.

Congrats, Scott! 🌊🧪
PhD Timeline xkcd.com/3081
Many data sets held by NOAA are being "retired" in may, including datasets relevant to ocean sciences and climate. If you have need for these data, or are an archivist, it would be good to download this now. PLEASE SHARE WIDELY. www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/docume...
Notice of Changes
Notices of changes are formal public announcements of planned services changes to applications and other products.
www.nesdis.noaa.gov

Reposted by John J. Cullen

The Act prohibits actions that “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect” endangered species. Right now, “harm” includes damage to a species’ habitat—but the Trump administration is attempting to strip habitat destruction from that definition.
NOAA just announced a long list of datasets that are going away🧪⚒️🌊: www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/docume...
Download what you need asap and send comments to: ncei.info@noaa.gov
Notice of Changes
Notices of changes are formal public announcements of planned services changes to applications and other products.
www.nesdis.noaa.gov

Reposted by John J. Cullen

Those critical International Maritime Organisation discussions on a pathway to greener shipping just had a major bombshell dropped on them:

www.lloydslist.com/LL1153123/La...

This is a rare opportunity to make real progress. They don’t need unanimous agreement, but the threats could change minds.
Last minute US intervention at IMO threatens to derail climate negotiations
The US has dropped a diplomatic bombshell on the pivotal international talks due to agree shipping’s decarbonisation regulatory measures. The threat of action against member states agreeing to a deal has the potential to derail talks
www.lloydslist.com
This administration continues to outdo itself by doing really really dumb things. Princeton has one of the best climate modeling groups in the world, and this administration just cut their funding justified with some anti-science bs.
Ending Cooperative Agreements’ Funding to Princeton University
On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced that nearly $4 million in funding is ending to Princeton University after a detailed, careful, and thorough review of the...
www.commerce.gov
The election has just been called for April 28.

If you are a Canadian living outside the country, get your mail-in ballot here ASAP:

travel.gc.ca/travelling/l...
Canada election live: Canadian PM Mark Carney calls snap election
Carney has asked the governor general to dissolve Parliament, launching an election campaign amid a trade war with the US.
www.bbc.com
As we watch Trump's attack on universities, remember that Poilievre promises to appoint a "Free Speech Guardian" for universities.
A university could lose its federal funding if this politically appointed "guardian" recommends it.

Thanks for the heads-up, Clark. A keen student could learn a lot by modelling the interactions between ambient irradiance spectra and LDR sensor spectral response in different water types through the open ocean. Could be a good publication!

aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Reposted by John J. Cullen

This is bananas.

'Canadian researchers are asked to confirm that their research:

- does not include a climate or “environmental justice” component

- does not contain diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) elements

- does not ascribe to “gender ideology'

🧪 🌎

www.globenewswire.com/news-release...
Trump administration threatening Canadian researchers
OTTAWA, Ontario, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is warning that the Trump administration is...
www.globenewswire.com

Got potash? 🇨🇦