among agencies with responsibilities for ocean issues, such as the Department of Transportation, 

 the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of 

 Defense, the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the 

 Department of Justice, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are beginning 

 to show results. For example, experiments in the civil use of advanced technologies in the 

 military and intelligence communities promise new insights into environmental problems in 

 coastal areas and the ocean. 



The Federal government, however, cannot do it alone. Renewed cooperation with our 

 counterparts in state and local governments will be critical in order to solve problems of coastal 

 pollution, habitat loss, hazards mitigation, and other areas. Federal agencies have a growing 

 experience base in working with colleagues in state and local governments through programs 

 such as the Coastal Zone Management Program and the National Estuary Program that can serve 

 as models for future cooperation. 



Moreover, the Federal government doesn't have all the answers. Federal agencies, 

 private industry, state and local governments, and academic institutions are strengthening and 

 improving their cooperative activities, including the sharing of human resources, experience, 

 data, equipment, instrument development, and facilities. Nurturing existing partnerships, such as 

 the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, can help build support for oceanographic 

 research. 



In a time of shrinking budgets, the public sector at all levels will never have adequate 

 resources to do all that needs to be done. Investments in coastal and marine areas by the private 

 sector far outweigh public investments, and the experience base of the private sector is often 

 untapped in public decision making. Real opportunities exist to develop public-private 

 partnerships with the insurance industry to deal with concerns about climate change, with the 

 tourism industry to deal with the environmental quality of coastal areas, and with the fishing 

 industry to deal with issues related to essential fish habitat. 



Finally, the United States cannot move the country ahead in ocean science and 

 management in isolation. The ocean and its resources are inherently international. Even within 

 our own waters, the health of the fish we eat and the waters in which we swim are affected by 

 activities in other countries. The elements of effective management ~ public participation, 

 scientifically-sound decision making, governmental coordination and integration, the need for 

 creative financing for programs ~ are similar in all nations. The threats to ocean ecosystems ~ 

 over-fishing, destruction of habitat, nutrient and toxic pollutants, non-indigenous species, and 

 pathogens ~ are also global. 



Although we should celebrate recent improvements of marine environments in the U.S.. it 

 is important to remember that coastal areas in the developing world are under severe pressures 

 that few nations are equipped to manage. U.S. international development programs, in 

 partnership with non-governmental organizations, universities, and the private sector, work with 

 foreign governments, community groups, and international institutions to build local capacity to 

 protect and use marine resources more sustainably. Principles that were established first in the 

 U.S. are being adapted for use in Latin America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and 

 the Middle East. As a nation, we can also learn through our attempts to help others deal with 

 similar problems. Building capacity for sustainable management on distant shores will enhance 

 our own efforts. 



