Legislative Background on U.S. Ocean Policy.

MARINE resources conservation; CORAL reef conservation; MARINE parks & reserves; MARINE mammals; OCEAN; INTERNATIONAL trade; GOVERNMENT policy

The article discusses legislative actions by the U.S. Congress on national ocean policy and marine environment protection. Topics include the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 which was meant to conserve the reef ecosystem, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 which limits the importation of marine mammals, and the establishment of protected marine reservations by U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.