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acceptance of the moratorium on driftnet fishing on the hie. 

 seas. A NOAA-Academic partnership in the Bering Sea under lOAA's 

 Coastal Ocean Program provided key scientific information fsr 

 reaching this agreement. Other examples of international 

 fisheries management agreements in which NOAA is involved are: 

 the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic 

 Tunas; the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission; the South 

 Pacific Tuna Treaty; the Atlantic and Pacific Salmon Commissions; 

 the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission; the International 

 Whaling Commission, the Pacific Halibut Commission, and the 

 MEXUS-Gulf and MEXUS-Pacif ico agreements. 



NOAA is a leader in the Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) 

 Research Program, an interagency effort to understand the nature, 

 rate, and causative factors of changes to marine ecosystems and 

 associated fishery resources. Present efforts under GLOBEC are 

 focusing on understanding the role of climate in the problems of 

 Georges Banks fisheries. This effort and a companion Coastal 

 Ocean Program project focused on predation effects are designed 

 to support the recovery, and ultimate sustainability, of Georges 

 Bank fisheries. Future studies are planned off California and in 

 the Bering Sea. 



COASTAL PROGRAMS 



The United States is blessed with coastal areas of astounding 

 beauty and natural richness. Its bright sandy beaches; its rocky 

 shorelines; its vibrant coral reefs; and its teeming bays, 

 sounds, and marshes are nurseries for valuable fish and 

 shellfish, birds, and other wildlife. However, these coastal 

 areas are also home to a growing human population whose 

 activities stress coastal ecosystems. In multi-agency and 

 intergovernmental cooperation, NOAA is working with federal, 

 state, and local partners to address specific coastal problems in 

 seven geographic regions: Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Pacific 

 Southwest (including Hawaii), Gulf of Mexico, Southeast, 

 Northeast, and Great Lakes. NOAA hopes that this partnership 

 will ensure that our Nation's stewardship of coastal areas and 

 living resources is coordinated, efficient, and successful. The 

 effort is directed to sustaining healthy coastal ecosystems 

 through environmentally-responsible coastal development. 



NOAA provides national leadership in the area of coastal zone 

 management by administering the Coastal Zone Management Act in 

 cooperation with both federal and state agencies. NOAA also 

 oversees the National Marine Sanctuary and Estuarine Research 

 Reserve programs which, despite severely limited agency 

 resources, have gained interal recognition as models of 

 integrated management and protection of sensitive marine areas. 

 Also, in cooperation with other federal agencies, NOAA oversees 

 adherence to several international instruments, including the 



