Ocean Science Diplomacy in the Face of Maximum Pressure: A Path Forward for U.S.-Cuba Cooperation

By Mark J. Spalding, President, The Ocean Foundation

I am writing this on US Independence Day 2025, as fireworks prepare to light the sky over communities across America. Thus, I find myself reflecting on the profound historical ironies that define our current moment in U.S.-Cuba relations. On this day, celebrating our freedom from British rule, it is worth remembering that Cuba played a crucial role in our nation’s founding—providing not just financial support to the Continental Congress in its fight against British forces, but also opening Cuban ports to American ships and supplying the revolutionaries with much-needed resources. Cuban merchants and officials defied British blockades to help secure American independence, understanding that liberty in one part of the Americas could strengthen freedom throughout the region.

Today, just 90 nautical miles from Key West lies that same island nation whose coral reefs feed Florida’s marine nurseries, whose currents carry the very fish that sustain American coastal communities, and whose scientists possess decades of expertise in sustainable fisheries management that benefits both our nations. We share sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, whales, and other migratory species. Yet, new policy directives threaten to strangle the scientific cooperation that has survived decades of political turbulence—cooperation that, like those revolutionary-era partnerships, serves the interests of both peoples even amid broader political tensions.

The ocean does not recognize political boundaries. The Gulf Stream, which carries larval fish from Cuban waters to Florida’s reefs, operates on ecological time, not political cycles. Marine species migrate along ancient pathways that predate human borders. Hurricanes gather strength in shared waters, threatening both nations with equal fury. These realities demand cooperation, yet the US policy framework increasingly demands isolation.

The Resilient Thread: Scientific Cooperation Survives

Remarkably, even under President Trump’s renewed “Maximum Pressure” policy toward Cuba, a critical lifeline to this shared knowledge remains intact. The recently reissued National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 (NSPM-5) explicitly recognizes that U.S. engagement with Cuba should advance “the understanding of the United States regarding scientific and environmental challenges.” This language, echoing the 2017 directive that first carved out space for scientific cooperation amid broader restrictions, represents more than bureaucratic boilerplate—it acknowledges a fundamental truth that transcends politics.

Throughout my three decades of experience in ocean science diplomacy, I have witnessed how scientific collaboration creates bridges that other forms of engagement cannot. When The Ocean Foundation signed our groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding with Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (CITMA) in February 2023, we were building on relationships forged through years of patient trust-building. Cuban Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera noted that such scientific cooperation had “been sustained for decades, despite adverse political contexts”—a testament to the resilience of knowledge-sharing across ideological divides.

This is not naive romanticism about science transcending politics. It is a hard-headed recognition that both nations benefit when we understand our shared marine environment. Florida’s $61 billion tourism industry depends on healthy coral reefs that are replenished by larvae carried northward by the Gulf Stream. Cuba’s sustainable fisheries management practices, developed through decades of necessity and scientific rigor, offer insights that could benefit American fishing communities facing similar challenges from climate change and overfishing.

The Collision Course: Maximum Pressure Meets Scientific Reality

Yet even as the policy framework permits scientific cooperation, the broader “Maximum Pressure” approach creates a maze of practical obstacles that threaten to strangle collaboration through bureaucratic suffocation.

The new NSPM-5 mandates enhanced sanctions on Cuban military-linked entities, stricter travel auditing, and renewed financial transaction restrictions. Cuba’s redesignation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism adds additional layers of complexity, making it nearly impossible for Cuban scientists to obtain US visas for conferences or collaborative research. American researchers face months of paperwork to arrange simple data-sharing agreements, while grant funding becomes entangled in compliance reviews that can take longer than research timelines allow.

The human cost of these barriers extends beyond delayed publications or cancelled conferences. I think of Dr. Patricia González, the former director of the University of Havana‘s Center for Marine Research, whose groundbreaking work on coral restoration techniques could help save Florida’s remaining reefs. Or the fisheries biologists at Cuba’s Institute of Oceanology, whose decades of data on fish population dynamics in the Straits of Florida remain largely inaccessible to American scientists studying the same waters from the other side of the border that marine life can’t see.

These are not abstract policy debates—they are missed opportunities to address shared challenges that threaten both nations’ marine heritage and economic future.

The Wisdom of Targeted Engagement

The policy contradiction we face today mirrors broader questions about how democracies balance principles and pragmatism when engaging with authoritarian regimes. The NSPM-5’s scientific cooperation provision reflects an understanding that environmental challenges demand responses that transcend political systems.

Consider the precedent of U.S.-Soviet scientific cooperation during the Cold War. Even at the height of nuclear tensions, American and Soviet scientists collaborated on oceanographic research, sharing data that advanced both nations’ understanding of marine systems. These collaborations did not legitimize Soviet authoritarianism, but they did recognize that scientific knowledge serves humanity’s broader interests.

Similarly, contemporary U.S. scientific cooperation with China continues despite broader strategic competition. The recognition that climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean acidification threaten both nations’ interests provides a foundation for engagement that serves American strategic goals while advancing scientific knowledge.

The US has the largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world. The waters within that zone are adjacent to those of dozens of other nations that also rely on the ocean for their economic and social well-being. It is in the best interests of the US to further the understanding of the marine life and natural systems for whom such boundaries are invisible.

Cuba presents a particularly compelling case for such targeted engagement. Unlike major powers with global ambitions, Cuba’s authoritarian government poses no significant security threat to the United States. Its proximity and shared marine environment create natural grounds for cooperation that serve American interests directly. The island’s small area, relatively small population, and economic constraints enable the careful management of collaborative research relationships, thereby minimizing the creation of dependencies or security risks.

Recommendations for Scientists and Policymakers

Navigating this complex landscape requires both creativity and persistence from scientists, policymakers, and institutions committed to evidence-based environmental stewardship. Here are concrete steps that can advance scientific cooperation while respecting political constraints:

For Scientists and Research Institutions:

First, adopt a strategic approach to patience and administrative persistence. Work closely with compliance officers to understand evolving regulations, and build extra time into research timelines to accommodate bureaucratic delays. The Ocean Foundation’s long-term collaboration with Cuban marine researchers serves as a model for maintaining relationships amid policy turbulence, while adapting methods to meet regulatory requirements.

Second, leverage multilateral frameworks and third-party partnerships. Organizations such as the Caribbean Fishery Management Council and the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute provide neutral forums for sharing research findings and coordinating monitoring efforts. Mexican research institutions can serve as collaborators and intermediaries, facilitating data exchange and joint publications that advance regional understanding.

Third, focus on shared species and ecosystems that demonstrate mutual benefit. Research on bluefin tuna migration, coral reef connectivity, and predatory invasive species such as lionfish, as well as heat- and current-driven sargassum blooms, offers compelling narratives for why cooperation serves American interests. Document these benefits clearly and communicate them effectively to policymakers who may not understand the interconnected nature of marine systems.

For Policymakers:

First, clarify and streamline procedures for permitted scientific cooperation. Current regulations leave too much room for interpretation, creating uncertainty that discourages legitimate collaboration and cooperation. Clear guidance on permitted activities, expedited visa procedures for Cuban scientists attending academic conferences, and streamlined approval processes for data-sharing agreements would enable the collaboration that current policy explicitly permits. Likewise, American scientists should not be prevented from traveling to Cuba-hosted international conferences because of US government restrictions.

Second, recognize scientific cooperation as a strategic asset, not a political liability. Marine research partnerships advance American interests by improving our understanding of shared environmental challenges, maintaining influence in the Caribbean region, and demonstrating American leadership in addressing global problems. It leverages the investment of other nations in scientific research. This is soft power that serves hard interests.

Third, support multilateral mechanisms that enable indirect cooperation while maintaining bilateral restrictions. Increased funding for regional scientific organizations, enhanced capacity for joint research and evidence-based decision-making, and support for third-party research partnerships can advance scientific goals while respecting political constraints.

Building Resilient Partnerships

The ocean science community has learned hard lessons about building resilience into international partnerships. The recent foreign aid freeze, which temporarily suspended The Ocean Foundation’s Pacific Island programs, taught us that even well-intentioned policies can create unintended disruptions. Building redundancy into research relationships—through multiple funding sources, diverse institutional partnerships, and flexible collaboration mechanisms—can help insulate scientific cooperation from political volatility.

One promising model is the trinational U.S.-Mexico-Cuba coral reef network that has survived multiple policy changes by operating through academic institutions, international organizations, and private foundations. By distributing collaboration across numerous channels and maintaining relationships even when formal government-to-government cooperation becomes difficult, this network has preserved continuity in critical research on coral bleaching, restoration techniques, and climate adaptation strategies.

The Ocean Foundation’s own experience demonstrates both the vulnerability and resilience of such partnerships. Our Memorandum of Understanding with CITMA has weathered the recent policy storm because it was built on years of relationship-building, clear documentation of mutual benefits, and careful compliance with evolving regulations. While bureaucratic barriers slow our work, they have not stopped it.

The Larger Stakes

As I write this, coral reefs throughout the Caribbean are experiencing unprecedented bleaching events driven by marine heatwaves that recognize no political boundaries. The sargassum blooms that have plagued the region since 2011 are increasing in volume and have detrimental effects on tourism and marine life as the stinking mounds rot on beaches. Fisheries that feed both nations are at risk of collapse due to overfishing and changing ocean temperature and chemistry. Sea level rise threatens coastal communities from Miami to Havana with equal indifference to their political systems.

Meeting these challenges cannot wait for political reconciliation. They demand scientific cooperation now, based on the longstanding recognition that shared problems require shared solutions. The policy framework for such cooperation exists—we must have the wisdom and persistence to use it.

The alternative—allowing political divisions to prevent scientific collaboration on shared environmental challenges—serves no one’s interests. It certainly does not serve the interests of American fishermen who depend on healthy fish populations, Florida communities that rely on coral reefs and mangroves for storm protection, or coastal tourism or other businesses that benefit from thriving marine ecosystems.

The ocean that connects our nations demands better from us. It demands the humility to recognize that environmental challenges transcend political systems, the wisdom to maintain cooperation even amid broader disagreements, and the persistence to build relationships that can weather political storms.

Standing on the shore, watching waves that have traveled thousands of miles to reach our coast, I am reminded that the ocean teaches us about both power and patience. The current U.S. policy toward Cuba reflects the power to impose restrictions, but it also requires the patience to recognize that some challenges demand cooperation regardless of political convenience.

The scientific cooperation provision in NSPM-5 represents a small but crucial acknowledgment of this reality. Our task now is to nurture this opening, demonstrating through concrete action how environmental collaboration serves American interests while advancing human knowledge about the ocean systems that sustain us all.

In the shared Straits of Florida, that is the bridge linking Cuba and the USA, science offers a compass toward shared prosperity and mutual understanding. We must have the courage to follow where it leads.