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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.

24 Posts4060 Follower56 Folgt
Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf@rahmstorf.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I'm afraid that this is why the US administration wants to shut down ocean observations: they don't want the people to know what is happening in our oceans, as it does not fit their ideology and the interests of their fossil fuel industry funders. edition.cnn.com/2026/06/03/c...

The oceans are in deep trouble. The Trump administration just ditched a vital deep-sea monitoring system | CNN

The Trump administration will dismantle a $368 million monitoring system that provides critical data on the world’s oceans, sparking alarm among scientists

edition.cnn.com

John J. Cullen@johncullenocean.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Someone who doesn't know much about oceanography asked me if the dismantling of ocean monitoring capabilities was stupid and/or evil. It is stupid AND evil. The War on Science continues. As more people see it and push back, maybe the tide can be turned. 🌊🧪 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Dismay as Trump officials to dismantle key ocean monitoring system

Ocean Observatories Initiative, $368m network that has provided crucial climate data, latest victim of Trump cuts

theguardian.com

John J. Cullen@johncullenocean.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Reposting this because I forgot 🌊 and 🧪. My point is that it is bedrock scientific fact that marine biomass for consumption is not CDR, so studies making that particular assumption should not pass peer review or due diligence. Thanks to @jaytcullen.bsky.social for the reminder.

John J. Cullen@johncullenocean.bsky.social · 5mo ago

A fundamental fact should have stopped the original publication in its tracks: The organic carbon in oyster biomass is not mCDR. We eat it, use it, and exhale most of it as CO2. That's what animals do — organic carbon in, carbon dioxide out. What we don't use goes to sewage —> greenhouse gases.

John J. Cullen@johncullenocean.bsky.social · 5mo ago

A fundamental fact should have stopped the original publication in its tracks: The organic carbon in oyster biomass is not mCDR. We eat it, use it, and exhale most of it as CO2. That's what animals do — organic carbon in, carbon dioxide out. What we don't use goes to sewage —> greenhouse gases.

Scientific evidence does not support oyster farming as a marine carbon dioxide removal strategy for climate mitigation | PNAS | John Cullen

Gentle people: The challenges in PNAS to a seriously flawed study of oyster farming for carbon dioxide removal are completely valid. The reply by the study's authors does not address core issues. To...

linkedin.com

Jean-Pierre Gattuso@jpgattuso.bsky.social · 5mo ago

1/x ‼️ Check out our letter to @pnas.org, led by Fabrice Pernet, which discusses a paper claiming "Oyster farming acts as a marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) hotspot for climate change mitigation." 🌊 doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

Katharine Hayhoe@katharinehayhoe.com · 8mo ago

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.

James Franklin@franklinjamesl.bsky.social · 8mo ago

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.

John J. Cullen@johncullenocean.bsky.social · 11mo ago

🌊 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/...

PNAS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

pnas.org

Jay T. Cullen@jaytcullen.bsky.social · 11mo ago

🌊 Interesting that a heterotrophic organism that precipitates CaCO3 could be a carbon sink

John J. Cullen@johncullenocean.bsky.social · last yr.

If due-diligence of mCDR investors included solid engagement with expert ocean scientists like Hurd and others – who have years of experience and publish peer-reviewed research – the cycle of hype and waste might be replaced with a better path to solutions. 🌊 www.canarymedia.com/articles/car...

Under the sea: Running Tide’s ill-fated adventure in ocean carbon…

The startup made a big splash, then ran aground this summer. Its story has a lot to teach us about trying to geoengineer our way out of climate change.

canarymedia.com

David Ho@davidho.bsky.social · last yr.

Catriona Hurd gave a great talk at #LiegeOcean25 showing why ocean afforestation with seaweed for CO₂ removal (CDR) is bullshit.

Woman at a lectern with a presentation with headlines hyping kelp as a climate solution 🌊
John J. Cullen@johncullenocean.bsky.social · last yr.

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? 🌊

Slide illustrating a fish kill off Oregon in 2002. It had nothing to do with OIF.Sinking carbon from ocean fertilization decomposes at depth, reducing concentrations of oxygen. (Picture of fish kill) If a hypoxic event like this happens again, who or what is to blame? Can it be proved?
David Ho@davidho.bsky.social · last yr.

Maybe this @johncullenocean.bsky.social et al. piece where they said — "adding iron to the ocean is not an effective way to fight climate change, and we don't need further research to establish that" — wasn't straightforward enough because this idea just won't die. 🤷🏻‍♂️ www.nature.com/articles/461...

Screenshot of Nature opinion piece called Ocean fertilization: time to move on, published in September 2009. The authors are Aaron Strong, Sallie Chisholm, Charles Miller & John Cullen. 🌊 "Adding iron to the ocean is not an effective way to fight climate change, and we don't need further research to establish that, say Aaron Strong, Sallie Chisholm, Charles Miller and John Cullen."
Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf@rahmstorf.bsky.social · last yr.

The US does not stand for freedom and democracy any more, but is sliding fast into tyranny. Harvard is punished for standing up to this. If you’re in the US and not doing something now, soon you will be unable to do anything. We know this from experience here in Germany.

Alejandra Caraballo@esqueer.net · last yr.

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...

@kinesinmotors.bsky.social · last yr.

👿 NSF in Turmoil: Radical Reorganization, Removal of Directors, Forced Layoffs 🧪 Follows take over by DOGE #SaveNSF science.org

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈@davidimiller.bsky.social · last yr.

🚨 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

Stand Up for Science!@standupforscience.net · last yr.

🔔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’.

nature.com

David Ho@davidho.bsky.social · last yr.

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.

John J. Cullen@johncullenocean.bsky.social · last yr.

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! 🌊🧪

Scott Doney@scottdoney.bsky.social · last yr.

Huge thanks to the many teachers, mentors, colleagues, postdocs & students who have supported my science career #UVA @usocb.bsky.social @whoi.edu @ncar-ucar.bsky.social @ucsandiego.bsky.social @sea1971.bsky.social @nasagoddard.bsky.social www.nasonline.org/news/2025-na...

Alt National Park Service@altnps.bsky.social · last yr.

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.

David Ho@davidho.bsky.social · last yr.

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...

commerce.gov

Helen Czerski@helenczerski.bsky.social · last yr.

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

lloydslist.com

Carol Off@caroloff.bsky.social · last yr.

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.

Dezene Huber 🍁 🌻@dezene.me · last yr.

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...

globenewswire.com