IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 989 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States 

should adopt national policies and pursue international agreements to 

prevent ocean acidification, to study the impacts of ocean acidification, 

and to address the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems 

and coastal economies. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 16, 2009 

Mr. INSLEE (for himself, Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. 

BAIRD, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. HIRONO, Mrs. 

CAPPS, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Ms. 

WOOLSEY, Mr. HONDA, Mr. WU, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. 

SMITH of Washington, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. FARR, Mr. DICKS, Mrs. 

CHRISTENSEN, Mr. ADLER of New Jersey, and Mr. HOLT) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

the United States should adopt national policies and 

pursue international agreements to prevent ocean acidification, to study the impacts of ocean acidification, and 

to address the effects of ocean acidification on marine 

ecosystems and coastal economies. 

Whereas the world’s oceans have absorbed more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere 

since the start of the Industrial Revolution; 


pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 989 IH 

Whereas the increased absorption of carbon dioxide by the 

world’s oceans alters the form of nutrients and chemicals 

in the oceans and results in ocean acidification; 

Whereas ocean acidification threatens carbonate-forming species such as coral, shellfish, and marine plankton, and 

may cause major ripple effects throughout marine ecosystems and food webs, ultimately affecting the largest 

marine organisms and many commercial fisheries; 

Whereas ocean acidification will affect the growth, reproduction, disease resistance, and other biological and physiological processes of many marine organisms; 

Whereas ocean acidification will be accelerated in Arctic waters because carbon dioxide is more soluble in colder waters and lower salinity diminishes the capacity of oceans 

to buffer against acidification; 

Whereas over 60 percent of the United States population 

lives in coastal States and could be affected by changes 

to marine ecosystems; 

Whereas coastal communities depend on revenue from the 

fishing and tourism industries, which rely on the health 

and stability of marine ecosystems; 

Whereas commercial and recreational fisheries contribute 

more than $73,000,000,000 annually to the United 

States economy and support more than 2,000,000 jobs in 

the United States; 

Whereas coastal tourism and recreation produce 

$70,000,000,000 in annual revenue in the United States; 

Whereas coral ecosystems are a source of food for millions; 

protect coastlines from storms and erosion; provide habitat, spawning, and nursery grounds for economically important fish species; provide jobs and income to local 


pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 989 IH 

economies from fishing, recreation, and tourism; are a 

source of new medicines; and are hotspots of marine biodiversity; 

Whereas 500,000,000 people worldwide rely on reefs for food, 

income, and protection; 

Whereas coral reefs support an estimated 25 percent of marine species globally and produce a net global economic 

benefit of about $30,000,000,000 per year; 

Whereas if current trends in global emissions of carbon dioxide continue, corals could be functionally extinct by the 

middle to the end of this century; and 

Whereas the Congress has recognized the need to address the 

impacts of ocean acidification by enacting the Federal 

Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 

2009 as part of Public Law 111–11: Now, therefore be 

it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the United States should adopt national 

3 policies and pursue international agreements to prevent 

4 ocean acidification, to study the impacts of ocean acidifica5 tion, and to address the effects of ocean acidification on 

6 marine ecosystems and coastal economies. 

Æ 


pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with BILLS