In an OpEd for The Guardian, Changemaker Terry Garcia Defends Ocean Monitoring
Former Deputy Administrator for NOAA and Chief Science Officer for National Geographic Society for 17 years, Terry Garcia knows a thing or two about the Ocean and the role it plays keeping our environment in balance.
In his June 23, 2026 Op-Ed for The Guardian, Terry detailed the current administration's move to dismantle the Ocean Observatories Initiative, an ocean monitoring network that makes climate forecasting possible, giving us the ability to brace for intense weather shifts in the future. He warns that political attacks on climate science are undermining our ability to prepare for one of the most consequential climate events in decades, adding, “If we allow these systems to remain vulnerable to political whims, an extreme event will eventually catch us unawares. We came far too close to throwing it away.” He maintains that the temporary congressional reprieve isn't enough, especially in the face of this year’s potential super El Niño.
Terry recently delivered the sixth annual Talbot Oration at the Australian Museum. In his compelling stage talk, Terry vividly explores the threats, the solutions, and current pathways to protecting the ocean that sustains all life on Earth.
