Chief Scientist is the most senior science position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They are responsible for safeguarding the health of the nation's waters and advancing policy and program direction for NOAA's science and technology programs. In July 2022, the 117th Congress passed the NOAA Chief Scientist Act revising the qualifications and responsibilities of the position.
Deepwater Horizon controversy The position of NOAA Chief Scientist went vacant from 1996 until 2009 when Congress reestablished the position. Then President Barack Obama nominated geochemist Scott Doney in August 2010, but his nomination was blocked by Louisiana Republican Senator David Vitter. The senator blocked several Obama scientific appointments because the administration was holding up the issuing of deepwater exploration permits. This fight lasted until 2012 when the administration withdrew the appointment.
Hurricane Dorian–Alabama controversy In September 2019 Hurricane Dorian was on track to hit northern Florida. Then president Donald Trump incorrectly mentioned that Alabama would also be threatened by the storm and on Sept. 4, 2019 displayed an altered National Hurricane Center map. The acting Chief Scientist Craig McLean had the National Weather Service issue a correction via Twitter. The resulting aftermath between the administration and McLean ended in his removal from that position.
Flag The NOAA Chief Scientist is authorized to fly a personal flag as described in NAO 201-6 A: Official Flags of NOAA. It is a rectangular field of dark blue with three vertical red stars near the hoist. In the center is a white circle containing a red triangle with the NOAA "flying seagull" logo in it.
List of NOAA Chief Scientists No.ImageNameTerm startTerm endNotes1Sylvia Earle1990January 1992 --William HookeJanuary 1992August 1992acting --Kathryn D. SullivanAugust 1992May 1993acting2Kathryn D. Sullivan May 1993May 1996From 1996 until 2014, there was no Chief Scientist at NOAA, even after its explicit reestablishment in 2009. 3Richard W SpinradMay 2014December 2016 --Craig McLeanJanuary 2017September 2020acting --Ryan MaueSeptember 2020January 2021acting --Craig McLeanApril 2021April 2022acting4Sarah KapnickApril 2022August 2025 --Steven ThurAugust 2025incumbentacting
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