1998 Year of the Ocean Ocean Living Resources 



Reserve System, provides for the cooperative management, with states, of estuarine areas 

 representing various regions and estuarine types in the United States. 



The United States has also begun to address the threat of exotic invasive species in the 

 marine environment, through interagency and international initiatives. The Non-indigenous 

 Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 established an interagency Aquatic 

 Nuisance Species Task Force. This effort has begun to document the extent of the problem, 

 develop management approaches and provide public outreach. Ballast water discharge from ships 

 appears to be the major vector of aquatic invasions. Internationally, the United States has joined 

 with other nations in promoting measures to control the spread of non-indigenous organisms 

 through the regulation of ships' ballast water through International Maritime Organization 

 (IMG), a specialized agency of the United Nations that addresses issues involving international 

 shipping matters. 



Integrated marine and coastal area management will also play a critical role in U.S. 

 adaptation to global climate change. While the essential step to protect marine living 

 resources — ^and the first responsibility of nations — is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are 

 generated by humans and contribute to global warming, some level of adaptation to a changing 

 climate will be necessary. Integrated planning efforts will help to protect the huge economic 

 investments in coastal zones, while beginning to take into account the interactions with critical 

 marine ecosystems. 



CONCLUSIONS AND OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION 



Ocean living resources, the ecosystems they form, and the ecological processes they 

 mediate, provide immense benefits to the United States and to all of human society. Increasingly, 

 however, these resources and their benefits are threatened by human activities. Fishing, waste 

 disposal and runoff, coastal development, and invasions of exotic species have led to worldwide 

 declines in marine species and the integrity of marine ecosystems, particularly coastal 

 ecosystems. Global climate change caused by human activity has the potential to further 

 exacerbate this situation. 



The United States is committed to addressing these threats in order to ensure the long- 

 term sustainability of living marine resources and the benefits they represent. Evidence already 

 shows that U.S. management and conservation practices are paying dividends in healthier 

 resources. Continued improvement will require enhanced domestic action and international 

 cooperation to: 



• Expand understanding of marine genetic resources, species, ecosystems, and their 

 functions and processes 



• Address the direct and indirect impacts of fishing operations and introduce ecosystem 

 approaches to management to ensure sustainability of the resources 



C-33 



