Take Action
There are many ocean initiatives that we support. Here are a few that you might wish to get involved. To learn more about citizen engagement for the ocean, visit Blue Frontier Campaign, Thank You Ocean, World Oceans Day, and more!
AUGUST 2016
What Will You Do for the Blue?
On August 23, 2016 a letter went out to campaign representatives for Secretary Hillary Clinton and Mr. Donald Trump from 115 ocean leaders in business, science, conservation, education and other fields seeking clarification on what they will do if elected President to protect our public seas, ocean economy and maritime security. The aim is to get a response by early September on how the next President will act on key coastal and ocean issues.
Dear Secretary Clinton,
Dear Mr. Trump,
As citizens we call on the next President of the United States to support our nation’s marine and coastal economy and assure the sound stewardship of our coasts and ocean. Our nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), stretching 200 miles out from our shores, is the largest in the world: a blue frontier more extensive than our continental landmass. With increased scientific knowledge and understanding of this great frontier comes both an opportunity and a responsibility to protect, preserve and restore the blue in our red, white and blue.
Recognizing that the protection of coastal communities, ocean-dependent jobs and businesses, the marine environment and America’s maritime heritage has long been a nonpartisan goal, we ask you as one of the two leading candidates for President of the United States, to respond and commit to the following principles and actions:
I. International Arena
Support initiatives to protect our global commons on the high seas and the polar seas through agreements to restore fish and other marine wildlife, reduce marine pollution, encourage scientific collaboration and protect vital habitats including seamounts, coral reefs and coastal mangroves. An excellent example of this kind of commitment was the broad bipartisan support that led to the IUU (Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported) Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015.
Based on the early work of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush who established the highest level of protection for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument of Hawaii, and Presidents Bush and Barack Obama in establishing and expanding the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, we call for similar support for global efforts to create additional marine reserves based on the best-available science. We expect the next president to support the continued protection of unique ocean habitats similar to the United States’ National Parks system. These areas can act as a world repository of marine biodiversity for our own and future generations.
II. United States
Continue to expand a national ocean policy that coordinates federal efforts to eliminate agency conflicts and redundancy while working with traditional and emerging users of our public seas, coasts and Great Lakes. This policy should embrace local, state, tribal and regional initiatives to ensure healthy and productive seas. The next administration should also continue to promote best fisheries and aquaculture management practices to sustain our living resources and the jobs that go with them including market transparency and traceability. You should address emerging challenges from a changing climate including protecting coastal populations at risk, providing resources such as new Coast Guard icebreakers for the Arctic and research tools for science. You should address the impacts of sea-level rise, ocean acidification, ocean warming as well as new ocean uses including offshore wind and hydrokinetic energy sources.
Recognizing that our EEZ frontier waters and our national economy depend on healthy seas, new discoveries and maritime enforcement, the next President should commit to fully fund the marine stewardship, exploration and law-enforcement missions carried out by the frontline agencies on America’s blue frontier including the United States Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
We believe a commitment to these four action areas by the next President of the United States will help turn the tide in restoring a vital element of the American economy, our heritage and our security from sea to shining sea.
We look forward to your response by Sept. 7 and to hearing more on your plans.*
* On August 27, just four days after this letter was sent to the presidential candidates, Hilary Clinton responded with this letter.
With regards and respect,
Katherine Abbot, President & CEO
Boston Harbor Now
Glenn A. Arthur, Chairman
New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs
Dana Beach, Executive Director
South Carolina Coastal Conservation League
Wendy Benchley, Co-Founder
Peter Benchley, Co-Founder
Ocean Awards
Jeff Benoit, President
Restore America’s Estuaries
Dr. Scott G. Borgeson, CEO
CargoMetrics Technologies
Angel Braestrup, Executive Director
The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation
Peg Brandon, President
Sea Education Association/SEA Semester
Graham Casden, Chief Visionary Officer
Ocean First
Susan Casey
Author
Gary Cherr, PhD
Professor, Environmental Toxicology & Nutrition
Director, University of California
Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory
Reverend Dr. Richard Cizik, President
New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good
Representative Curt Clawson (R - 19th)
Bonita Springs, Florida
Dianna Cohen, CEO co-founder
Plastic Pollution Coalition
Philippe Cousteau, Executive Director
EarthEcho International
Dr. Michael Crosby, President & CEO
Mote Marine Laboratory
Mary T. Crowley, Executive Director
Ocean Voyages Institute
Project Kaisei
Anna Cummins, Co-Founder
The 5 Gyres Institute
Jim Cummings, Executive Director
Acoustic Ecology Institute
R. Mark Davis, President
Sailors for the Sea
Richard Delaney, President and CEO
Center for Coastal Studies
Jacqueline Dixon, Dean
University of South Florida
College of Marine Science
Dr. Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer
National Geographic Explorer in Residence
Representative Sam Farr (D-20th)
Monterey, California
Daniella V. Fernandez, Founder & Chair
Sustainable Oceans Alliance
Alexandra S. Garcia, Executive Director
International League of Conservation Photographers
Sherri Goodman
Former CEO, Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense
(Environmental Security)
Member, Joint Ocean Commission Initiative
Leadership Council
Gary Griggs, Distinguished Professor & Director
Institute of Marine Sciences
University of California Santa Cruz
Marce Gutierrez-Graudins, Founder/Director
AZUL
William E. Hawkins, Professor Emeritus
Director, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Retired)
University of Southern Mississippi
Randy Hayes, Executive Director
Foundation Earth
David Helvarg, Executive Director
Blue Frontier
Wolcott Henry, President
The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation
Dr. Nigella Hillgarth
President and Chief Executive Officer
New England Aquarium
Elizabeth Lacey Hoover, Chairman
Herbert W. Hoover Foundation
Joseph Ierna Jr., Founder, Executive Director
Ocean CREST Alliance
Jeremy Jackson, Professor of Oceanography Emeritus
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Phillip Johnson, Executive Director
Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition
Susan Jordon, Executive Director
California Coastal Protection Network
Les Kaufman, Professor of Biology
Boston University Marine Program
Kiho Kim, PhD, Professor & Chair
Department of Environmental Science
American University
Isabella Kirkland
Artist
Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D.
Professor of Practice of Policy and Engineering
USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher (U.S. Navy, Ret)
CEO and Director, GeoOptics, Inc.
Former Under Secretary of Commerce/NOAA Administrator (2001-2008)
Member, Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council
Margaret Leinen, Ph.D.
Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
UC San Diego Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences
Dean of the School of Marine Science
Wayne Levin
Fine Art Photographer
Roland Lewis
President and CEO
Waterfront Alliance
Kurt Lieber, Executive Director / Founder
Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA)
Kimball Livingston, Commodore
St. Francis Yacht Club
Pam Longobardi, Distinguished University Professor
Professor of Art
GSU / Atlanta
Tami Lunsford, President
National Marine Educators Association
David McGuire, MEH, Director
Shark Stewards
Sunshine Menezes, Ph.D., Executive Director
Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting
University of RI Graduate School of Oceanography
Andreas Merkl, Chief Executive Officer
Ocean Conservancy
Ali Miller, President
Colorado Scuba Retailers Association (CSRA)
Partner, Denver Divers
Todd Miller, Executive Director
North Carolina Coastal Federation
Kevin Mills, President and CEO
South Carolina Aquarium
Ambassador John Norton Moore, Director
The Center for Oceans Law & Policy
The University of Virginia
Bill Mott, Director
The Ocean Project
Peter Neill, Director
World Ocean Observatory
Chad Nelsen, CEO
Surfrider Foundation
Wallace J. Nichols PhD, Founder
Blue Mind Fund
Vicki Nichols Goldstein, Founder / Director
Colorado Ocean Coalition
Timothy O’Shea, CEO & Co-Founder
CleanFish, fish you can trust®
Dave Oakes, Ed.D., Co-Director
Center for Ecological Living and Learning
Chris Palmer, Director
Center for Environmental Filmmaking
American University
Stephen Palumbi, Director
Hopkins Marine Station
Stanford University
Daniel Pingaro, Executive Director
Laguna Beach Community Foundation
Ellen Prager, PhD, President
Earth2Ocean, Inc
Louie Psihoyos, Executive Director
Oceanic Preservation Society
DeeVon Quirolo, President
Nature Coast Conservation, Inc.
Nancy Rabalais, PhD., Executive Director/Professor
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
John Racanelli, President/ Chief Executive Officer
National Aquarium
Drew Richardson, President/ Chief Executive Officer
PADI Worldwide
Jim Ries, President
One More Generation
David Rockefeller, Jr., Co-founder
Sailors for the Sea
William D. Ruckelshaus, Former Administrator
U.S. Environmental Agency
Member, Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council
Sean Russell, Director
Youth Ocean Conservation Summit
Daniella Russo, Chief Executive Officer
Think Beyond Plastic™ Innovation Accelerator
Karen Sack, Managing Director
Ocean Unite
Carl Safina, Endowed Professo,
Nature & Humanity
Stony Brook University
Miyoko Sakashita, Oceans Director
Center for Biological Diversity
Enric Sala, Explorer-in-Residence
National Geographic Society
Dr. Paul Sandifer, Research Associate & Director
Center for Coastal Environmental and Human Health
College of Charleston
Member, Join Ocean Commission
Initiative Leadership Council
Shari Sant Plummer, President
Code Blue Foundation
Cynthia Sarthou, Executive Director
Gulf Restoration Network
Terry Sawyer, Vice President and Co-Founder
Hog Island Oyster Co.
Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman
Alphabet, Inc.
Co-Founder, Schmidt Ocean Institute
Wendy Schmidt, President
The Schmidt Family Foundation
Co-Founder, Schmidt Ocean Institute
Jerry R. Schubel, PhD, President & CEO
Aquarium of the Pacific
David Schwartz, President & CEO
Schwartz and Associates Landscape Architecture
Jason Scorse, PhD, Director
Center for the Blue Economy
Middlebury Institute of International Studies
Barton Seaver
Center for Health and the Global Environment
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Jennifer Seavey, Ph.D., Director
Shoals Marine Laboratory
Cornell University
Sarah Shaw, Founder
Nature Defense Foundation
Brian Skerry, Photojournalist
National Geographic Magazine
Bren Smith, Director
Greenwave
Owner/Farmer
Thimble Island Ocean Farm
Stuart L. Smits, CEO
New Energy Ventures
Richard Snow, President, C.E.O.
The International SeaKeepers Society
Rob Snyder, PhD, President
Island Institute
Mark J. Spalding, President
The Ocean Foundation
Michael Stocker, Director
Ocean Conservation Research
Michael Sutton, Chair, COMPASS
Chair, Ocean Champions
Summer Faculty, Vermont Law School
Liz Taylor, President
DOER Marine/Deep Ocean Exploration and Research
Chris Tellis, Owner & Harbor Master
Yellow Ferry Harbor
Kyle Thiermann
Journalist/Professional Surfer
Ray Toll, President
Marine Technology Society
Director of Coastal Resilience Research
Office of Research, Old Dominion University
Dave Toole, CEO
Outhink Media
Jim Toomey, Creator
Sherman’s Lagoon
Syndicated daily comic strip
Don Walsh, PhD
Explorer & Oceanographer
David Wilmot, Ph.D.,
President and Co-Founder
Ocean Champions
R. Scott Winters, CEO
Coral Restoration Foundation
Wyland
Marine Artist and Conservationist
William M. Ziefle
President & Chief Executive Officer
Divers Alert Network, Inc.
WilderHill Clean Energy Index (ECO)
Rob Wilder, J.D. PhD, Chair
Please feel free to contact the Clinton and Trump campaigns directly.
< Contact Donald J. Trump
FMI: ContactDavid Helvarg at the Blue Frontier Group, helvarg@bluefront.org
