Reports
On April 7, 2009, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative released an urgent set of recommendations, Changing Oceans, Changing World: Ocean Priorities for the Obama Administration and Congress. Building on a previous Joint Initiative report released in fall 2008, Changing Oceans, Changing World outlines twenty priority actions needed for improving ocean and coastal policy and management, bolstering international leadership, strengthening ocean science, and funding ocean and coastal policies and programs. The actions respond to critical challenges, including climate change and its impacts, development of a comprehensive energy policy that includes ocean-based energy resources, and stimulation of the national economy, a significant portion of which is dependent on ocean and coastal activities and resources. With strong input and endorsement from ocean and coastal related industries, environmental advocacy groups, science and education organizations, and local, state, and federal government partners the Joint Initiative strongly encourages the Obama Administration and Congress to implement these recommendations within the next two to four years.