Though few may have heard of it, the U.S. Geological Survey Ecosystems Mission Area has for decades worked on conservation science behind the scenes.

EMA is the biological research arm of the U.S. Interior Department that provides the science informing the sustainable management of ecological resources by addressing issues such as drought, invasive species, and wildlife diseases. In Hawaii, that includes everything from examining coastal hazards to finding strategies for saving the dwindling population of native birds and restoring Hawaii’s forests after wildfires.

But much of this work is poised to end — if not halted already — with the Trump administration’s plan to zero out EMA’s annual budget of about $300 million in fiscal year 2026.

The cuts, which were planned well before the U.S

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