On September 9, 2020, President Trump signed Proclamation 2020-20847 to revise the United States' marine scientific research policy. The proclamation fundamentally altered the procedural and administrative framework governing how scientific research is conducted in American waters and by American research institutions operating domestically. Rather than issuing a formal executive order subject to notice-and-comment rulemaking, Trump employed a presidential proclamation—a mechanism that allows policy changes with minimal transparency and public input. The revision specifically modified permitting requirements, notification procedures, and institutional review processes that marine scientists and oceanographic research organizations must navigate when conducting work in designated marine areas under federal jurisdiction.

Marine scientists, university oceanography departments, nonprofit research institutions, and federal laboratories conducting ocean research faced direct operational disruptions. The altered permitting and notification requirements increased administrative burden for researchers seeking to study marine ecosystems, climate impacts on oceans, and related environmental phenomena. Institutions already operating under existing protocols had to rapidly adapt to new procedural requirements or risk jeopardizing their research activities and federal funding.

This proclamation represents part of a broader Trump administration pattern of constraining scientific independence and institutional autonomy that accelerated during his second term. The dissolution of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in January 2025 and the termination of National Science Board members in the same month demonstrate systematic efforts to restructure scientific governance and advisory capacity. Similarly, Executive Order 14292 on biological research safety and Executive Order 14365 on artificial intelligence governance imposed heightened regulatory oversight on scientific activities, while the CDC's cancellation of the COVID vaccine benefits study publication in April 2026 exemplified direct interference with scientific communication and evidence dissemination.

The proclamation's reliance on presidential power rather than statutory authority or agency rulemaking has left it vulnerable to legal challenge on administrative procedure grounds, though specific litigation records are limited. A reversal would require either subsequent presidential action rescinding the proclamation or judicial intervention requiring restoration of the previous marine research policy framework and its associated permitting structures.