Saving science by the sea

As funding for science tightens across the United States, attention has turned to pressures faced by universities and biomedical research institutions. An often overlooked part of the nation's science ecosystem, however, are the small, independent marine laboratories that are also bearing the brunt of funding cuts and other constraints imposed by the Trump administration. These institutions have long nurtured generations of scientists-from high school students to Nobel laureates-and precipitated discoveries that have advanced modern science. Yet they now face an uncertain future, and losing them would eliminate not only a powerful convergence of research and education but also a wellspring of scientific advancement.