With the involvement and financial support of governments, foundations and individuals, all these initiatives are being put into place to insure that the world's coral reefs are preserved for the future. The Ocean is vital to life on earth. This designation provides individual organizations and governments with an important opportunity to raise public awareness and understanding of the ocean and related issues. The United States is participating in YOTO activities through the Ocean Principals Group , an informal group of federal agencies with ocean interests. The Aquarius undersea laboratory is the world's only laboratory beneath the sea.
Scientists live and work from Aquarius amidst the equipment and comfort of a modern laboratory.
The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation's natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to tribes. NOAA's Mission is to describe and predict changes in the Earth's environment, and conserve and wisely manage the Nation's coastal and marine resources. Department of State U.S. diplomacy is an instrument of power, essential for maintaining effective international relationships, and a principal means through which the United States defends its interests, responds to crises, and achieves its international goals. The Department of State is the lead institution for the conduct of American diplomacy, a mission based on the role of the Secretary of State as the President's principal foreign policy adviser.