IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 202
Expressing the sense of Congress in support of a National Oceans Week. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 3, 2003
Mr. GREENWOOD (for himself, Mr. FARR, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, and 
Mr. ALLEN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Resources 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress in support of a National 
Oceans Week.
Whereas 95 percent of the deep ocean is unexplored and un-
known, and is truly the last frontier on Earth for science 
and civilization; 
Whereas the ocean comprises nearly 3⁄4 of the Earth’s surface 
and sustains 80 percent of all life on Earth; 
Whereas the oceans play a critical role in the global water 
cycle, the carbon cycle, and in regulating climate, and 
over 90 percent of the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere, 
essential to life on Earth, comes from the world’s oceans 
and rivers; 
Whereas the oceans are an important source of food, provide 
a wealth of other natural products, and the oceans and
•HCON 202 IH 
sea floor contain vast energy and mineral resources that 
are critical to the economy of the United States and the 
world; 
Whereas the United States has more than 95,000 miles of 
coastline and more than 50 percent of the population of 
the United States lives within 50 miles of the ocean or 
the Great Lakes; 
Whereas coastal areas are regions of remarkably high biologi-
cal productivity, are of considerable importance for a va-
riety of recreational and commercial activities, and pro-
vide a vital means of transportation; 
Whereas ocean resources are limited and susceptible to 
change as a direct and indirect result of human activities, 
and such changes can impact the ability of the ocean to 
provide the benefits upon which the Nation depends; 
Whereas the rich biodiversity of marine organisms provides 
society with an essential biomedical resource, a promising 
source of novel compounds with therapeutic potential, 
and a potentially important contribution to the national 
economy; 
Whereas there exists significant promise for the development 
of new ocean technologies for stewardship of ocean re-
sources that will contribute to the economy through busi-
ness and manufacturing innovations and the creation of 
new jobs; 
Whereas, in its 2000 final report entitled ‘‘Discovering 
Earth’s Final Frontier: A United States Strategy for 
Ocean Exploration’’, the President’s Panel on Ocean Ex-
ploration recommended to the President and to Congress 
a 10-year program to launch the first national plan for 
ocean exploration;
•HCON 202 IH 
Whereas the Oceans Act of 2000 passed by Congress author-
ized the establishment of the Commission on Ocean Pol-
icy and directed it to conduct a comprehensive review of 
present and future ocean programs and activities and 
provide comprehensive ocean policy recommendations to 
the Congress and the President by 2003; and 
Whereas the oceans are vital to national security and the na-
tional economy, and the Nation’s greatest era of ocean 
exploration and discovery still lies ahead: Now, therefore, 
be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the ocean is of paramount importance to 
the economic future, environmental quality, and na-
tional security of the United States; 
(2) the United States has a responsibility to ex-
ercise and promote comprehensive stewardship and 
understanding of the ocean and the living marine re-
sources it contains; and 
(3) the President should issue a proclamation 
calling upon the people of the United States to ob-
serve a National Oceans Week with appropriate rec-
ognition, programs, ceremonies, and activities to fur-
ther ocean literacy, education, and exploration.
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