[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9459 of May 31, 2016

National Oceans Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Covering more than 70 percent of the earth's surface, oceans have a
profound impact on our way of life. Home to a great diversity of plant
and animal species, their precious ecosystems provide food and energy
that are integral to our survival. In bringing tourism and recreation to
coastal areas, oceans are important to America's economy, and they help
facilitate trade and transportation, give mobility to our Armed Forces,
and preserve our Nation's maritime heritage. In observation of National
Oceans Month, we recommit to good ocean stewardship and redouble our
efforts to preserve the health and resilience of our vast oceans,
coasts, and Great Lakes.
Jeopardizing marine populations and degrading oceanic habitats,
pollution poses a significant risk to all of our interconnected oceans.
Oceans and their nearby regions are also highly vulnerable to the
effects of a changing climate--a once-distant threat that is now very
present and is affecting ecosystems and shoreline communities on every
coast. Rising sea levels, coastal storms, and a growing risk of erosion
and flooding are looming realities faced by seaside towns. It is
critical that we take measures to safeguard our blue planet and heed the
urgency to defend against these mounting threats, particularly in the
Arctic where the effects of a changing climate are already swiftly
accelerating.
In collaboration with stakeholders; scientists; businesses; and State,
tribal, and local partners, my Administration is continuing to implement
the National Ocean Policy, a coordinated effort to support local
communities, strengthen our ocean economy, and improve the health of our
oceans. We are concentrating on key areas outlined in our 2016 Annual
Work Plan, including combatting illegal, unregulated, and unreported
fishing and monitoring significant changes in the acidity of our oceans.
We are also focused on reducing the toxic effects of harm

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ful algal blooms, which occur when algae grow too rapidly and threaten
the safety of our food, drinking water, and air quality. Using the
science-based roadmap laid out in the National Ocean Policy, we are
dedicated to enhancing the economic and ecological sustainability of our
oceans and advancing our knowledge of how they influence and are
influenced by human activity.
This month, let us continue the work of ensuring the well-being of these
grand bodies of water and the communities that depend on them. As we
celebrate the immense beauty and power of our oceans, we are reminded of
our shared responsibility to protect them--now and for generations to
come.
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 2016 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 thirty-first day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA