
Dr. Robert B. Gagosian
The United States is an ocean nation – our overall quality of life is dependant on the sea. Americans are intrinsically tied to the ocean, as we were founded by crossing the Atlantic and we pursued our manifest destiny to the Pacific. Every day, Americans depend on the ocean for commerce, transportation, recreation and national defense. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the wake of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico where lives and livelihoods; the health of the public and the environment; and the future of the Gulf’s industries, environment and communities are in question.
Because the ocean means so much to us in so many ways, it is a travesty that we have mismanaged its resources through a myriad of laws, policies, regulations and overlapping federal responsibilities. However, this week, President Obama took a long overdue step forward in addressing this mismanagement by Executive Order establishing a National Ocean Policy. Read the full story »