[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9292 of May 29, 2015

National Oceans Month, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

This summer, millions of Americans will take in the beauty and natural
splendor of our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. As destinations for
recreation and tourism, these bodies of water rejuvenate our spirit and
cultivate a love of our great outdoors. And no matter where you live or
who you are, a healthy and thriving ocean is essential to all people all
year. Our marine environments contribute to our food supply, bolster our
economy, strengthen our national defense, and support important
scientific research and innovation. They are some of humanity's greatest
treasures and central to who we are as a people. During National Oceans
Month, we celebrate these life-sustaining ecosystems, and we reaffirm
our vital role as stewards of our planet.
Ensuring the long-term health, resilience, and productivity of our
marine environments requires us to act to protect and preserve them in
the face of a range of threats. Climate change is causing sea levels and
ocean temperatures to rise, and these effects can harm coral reefs and
force certain species to migrate. Carbon pollution is being absorbed by
our oceans, causing them to acidify and changing entire ecosystems. And
illegal fishing continues to threaten our global and economic security,
as well as the sustainability of our world's fisheries.

[[Page 3376]]

My Administration is committed to doing all we can to combat these
threats and leave our children and grandchildren clean and vibrant
oceans. As part of my National Ocean Policy, we are creating a
coordinated, science-based approach to managing our coasts and oceans,
and we are focused on implementing specific, on-the-ground actions to
improve our ocean economy and bolster ocean health. We continue to make
meaningful progress toward ending overfishing, and the Federal
Government is partnering with State, local, and tribal leaders to
promote marine conservation. As President, I continue to use my
authority to preserve our most precious ecosystems, including last year
when I expanded the largest marine reserve in the world--ensuring more
of our pristine tropical marine environments are off limits to
commercial resource extraction.
We are heirs to a vast expanse of oceans and waterways that have
sustained our ancestors for centuries. As caretakers of our planet, we
share an obligation to protect these magnificent ecosystems for
generations to come. This month, let us work to do our part and recommit
to leading the way toward a safer, cleaner, more stable world.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2015 as National
Oceans Month. I call upon Americans to take action to protect, conserve,
and restore our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
ninth.
BARACK OBAMA