In a very special episode of the SAMS Ocean Explorer podcast, recorded at the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2026 in Glasgow, we discuss the current state of ocean research as it navigates reductions in funding while facing an urgent demand for new knowledge. We explore the impact of U.S. federal government cuts to environmental science and ask: Can scientists be political? What actions are needed to address the challenges of climate change? What might the future hold for ocean science? And, is Scotl...