"We'd arrived by sailboat to this rain-drenched cove in the Shumagin Islands of southwestern Alaska, where fields of eelgrass nudged crumbling sea stacks and black-legged kittiwakes perched on steep rock walls. We weren't there in our official capacity as biologists, but we're always on the job when it comes to paying attention to the ecosystems and species we've long studied and cared for."
"Until recently, Ruthrauff and I were research biologists for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Alaska, with more than 50 years of experience between us. Ruthrauff was a shorebird and waterfowl specialist; I focused largely on wildlife and environmental health. We left our respective positions in April 2025 as the Trump administration's assault on federal science reached its initial climax."
"This was not an easy departure, but it felt untenable to stay in the climate of hostility and uncertainty that was building at USGS and other federal agencies."
Two former U.S. Geological Survey research biologists, Dan Ruthrauff and the narrator, departed their positions in April 2025 amid escalating hostility toward federal science under the Trump administration. Ruthrauff specialized in shorebirds and waterfowl, while the narrator focused on wildlife and environmental health, collectively bringing over 50 years of expertise. Despite leaving official roles, they continued fieldwork in Alaska's Shumagin Islands, documenting rock sandpipers and seabird mortality events. The resignation reflected broader concerns about the climate of uncertainty and hostility developing within USGS and other federal agencies, making continued employment untenable for scientists committed to rigorous environmental research and monitoring.
Read at High Country News
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