1998 Year of the Ocean Ocean Living Resources 



In some cases, living marine resources are well on the way to recovery. In other cases, the 

 policy framework has been set and new policy is just beginning to be implemented. In all cases, 

 the themes of improved science, the precautionary approach, expanded partnerships, and 

 application of ecosystem principles will be applied to better management of the nation's living 

 marine resources. 



Science in the Interest of Stewardship 



Effective stewardship of ocean living resources requires investment in science to better 

 understand the components and processes of marine biodiversity. Only through a much better 

 understanding of marine biodiversity and ecological relationships will it be possible to manage 

 fisheries and marine aquaculture sustainably, reap the biotechnology benefits of marine genetic 

 resources, and conserve these critical resources for future generations. 



The United States is committed to improving the knowledge base necessary to conserve 

 and manage the world's marine living resources. In these efforts, the U.S. system of private and 

 public universities, and state and federally funded research institutions and laboratories, play a 

 crucial role through worldwide scientific collaborations. In addition, the National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration and other federal agencies work in cooperation with state agencies, 

 the environmental community. Native American tribes. Pacific Islanders, international entities, 

 non-governmental organizations, the fishing industry, and others in the private sector, to ensure 

 access to the most recent and comprehensive data available. 



Much, however, remains to be done. Most marine biological communities still need to be 

 characterized, and there are still vast numbers of undescribed species of invertebrates and 

 bacteria. This represents more than idle scientific curiosity, since economic opportunities in 

 marine biotechnology will depend on this knowledge. Moreover, as information on multi- 

 species relationships, ecosystem interactions, and environmental influences become more 

 available, management approaches can move toward more explicit considerations of the impact 

 of human activities on all components of the ecosystem. (See Box 2) 



In every aspect of the strategic vision of U.S. marine resource management agencies, the 

 acquisition of sound biological, economic, and social information is highlighted as the tlrst step 

 to focused policy decision making. Such information is crucial to pursuit of a precautionary 

 approach to management that focuses decisions rather than allowing scientific uncertainty to fuel 

 controversy and confusion. This information is required not just for current management 

 decisions, but also to conserve resources and anticipate future trends, assure future use 

 opportunities, and assess the success of management efforts. 



C-23 



