311 
SEC. 1402. QUIET SEAS AND CLEAR SKIES VESSEL SPEED 
REDUCTION AWARD PROGRAM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) 49 marine mammal species are considered 
depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act 
of 1972, and of those species, 42 are listed as 
threatened or endangered under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973. 
(2) Climate change is altering marine mammal 
migration routes and timing. 
(3) Hundreds of threatened and endangered 
marine mammals, including North Atlantic right 
whales and blue whales, die from vessel strikes each 
year. 
(4) Underwater noise generated by vessels has 
increased significantly since 1950, impeding for-
aging, breeding, communication, and other behaviors 
of marine animals, including of threatened species 
and endangered species. 
(5) Slower ship speeds reduce the lethality of 
vessel strikes on marine life, moderate underwater 
noise, and provide climate benefits through reduced 
fuel consumption and lower particulate emissions. 
(6) In 2019, the Vessel Speed Reduction Pro-
gram in the Santa Barbara Channel region and the 
San Francisco Bay region saved over 17,000 metric 
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tons of greenhouse gas emissions, with 349 vessels 
from 15 different companies slowing their speeds for 
over 99,000 nautical miles. 
(b) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
establish the Quiet Seas and Clear Skies Program (in this 
section referred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to— 
(1) reduce air pollution, harmful underwater 
vessel noise, and the risk of fatal marine mammal 
ship strikes by encouraging voluntary reduction in 
the speed of eligible vessels operating within the Ex-
clusive Economic Zone of the United States; and 
(2) annually award Quiet Seas and Clear Skies 
Excellence Awards under subsection (d) for verified 
successful participation in, and compliance with, the 
Program by shipping companies. 
(c) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—The Administrator 
shall develop and publish in the Federal Register require-
ments for voluntary participation in the Program by eligi-
ble shipping companies, including the following: 
(1) PROGRAM AREA.—Geographic areas covered 
by the Program shall include all waters of the 
United States Exclusive Economic Zone, except for 
areas specified in section 802 of this Act. 
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(2) FLEET REQUIREMENT.—At least 75 percent 
of eligible vessels owned by a shipping company 
must participate and be in compliance with para-
graph (3) in order to be eligible for an Award under 
subsection (d). 
(3) SPEED LIMITS.—The Administrator shall, 
based upon the best available scientific information 
and meaningful consultation with the Commandant 
of the Coast Guard, shipping companies, and experts 
in air quality and marine mammal conservation, pre-
scribe maximum speeds by engine tier for eligible 
vessels participating in the Program, except when di-
rected by the Coast Guard to proceed in excess of 
the speed requirements of the Program for safety 
purposes, that would— 
(A) obtain a significant reduction in green-
house gas and particulate pollution emissions 
from shipping vessels; 
(B) protect marine life; and 
(C) reduce ocean noise. 
(4) CERTIFICATION.—The Administrator shall 
establish protocols for shipping companies to certify 
compliance with the Program requirement to be eli-
gible for an Award under subsection (d). 
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(d) ANNUAL AWARDS.—Under the Program, the Di-
rector shall annually award Quiet Seas and Clear Skies 
Excellence Awards to shipping companies whose fleets 
that have participated in, and complied with the require-
ments of, the Program during the preceding year. 
(e) OFFICIAL SEAL.—The Administrator shall create 
an official seal to be recognized as the symbol of excellence 
in compliance with the Program, that— 
(1) may be used by shipping companies with eli-
gible vessels for which a Quiet Seas and Clear Skies 
Excellence Award is awarded under this section; 
(2) includes the name of the shipping company; 
and 
(3) includes the year for which such Award was 
made. 
(f) LIMITATIONS.—Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to— 
(1) require participation in the Program; or 
(2) authorize any action that affects navigation 
safety. 
(g) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE VESSEL.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘eligible vessel’’ means a vessel greater than 
or equal to 65 feet in overall length. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section there is authorized to be appropriated to 
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the Administrator to carry out this section $4,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 
TITLE XV—STUDIES AND 
REPORTS 
SEC. 1501. DEEP SEA MINING. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall seek to enter into an 
agreement with the National Academies to conduct a com-
prehensive assessment and approximate quantification of 
the greenhouse gas emissions associated with deep seabed 
mining, including emissions possible from the release of 
greenhouse gases sequestered in the seabed. 
SEC. 1502. NATIONAL ACADEMIES ASSESSMENT OF OCE-
ANIC BLUE CARBON. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Administrator shall seek to enter 
into an agreement with the National Academies to conduct 
a comprehensive assessment of oceanic blue carbon, in-
cluding— 
(1) the impacts of marine species decline on 
carbon sequestration potential in ocean ecosystems, 
an estimate of the global carbon dioxide mitigation 
potential of protecting or recovering populations of 
fish and marine mammals, and the ecological consid-
erations of such conservation strategies; 
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(2) an analysis of the geologic stores of carbon 
in the deep seafloor environment, including current 
and potential natural long-term carbon storage, 
identification of gaps in scientific understanding re-
garding such geologic carbon storage; and 
(3) the potential impacts to oceanic blue carbon 
storage by human activities including energy devel-
opment activities, deep sea mining, deep sea carbon 
capture technology, and other disturbances to the 
sea floor. 
SEC. 1503. OCEAN CLIMATE IMPACTS AND ACTION REPORT. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in coordi-
nation with all other relevant agencies, shall submit to 
Congress a report on the impacts of climate change on 
the ocean and on coastal ecosystems and the steps the 
United States is taking to minimize such impacts. Such 
report shall include consolidated data from all line offices 
in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
and from other relevant Federal agencies and sources. 
(b) IMPACTS.—The report required by subsection (a) 
shall include baseline information as well as trends, in a 
format that can be compared from year to year, on ocean 
and coastal impacts including— 
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(1) changes and the rate of change of pH levels 
and acidity in the coastal and ocean waters of the 
United States; 
(2) average sea surface temperatures in the 
United States exclusive economic zone; 
(3) average sea floor temperatures in the 
United States exclusive economic zone; 
(4) average sea level rise; 
(5) number and duration of marine heat waves 
occurring in the United States exclusive economic 
zone; 
(6) number, duration, location, and the attrib-
utable cause of harmful algal blooms occurring in 
the coastal and ocean waters of the United States; 
(7) number, duration, size and location of 
hypoxic zones occurring in the coastal and ocean 
waters of the United States; 
(8) number and location of coral bleaching 
events in the United States exclusive economic zone; 
(9) estimates of coral cover loss in the United 
States exclusive economic zone; 
(10) number, location, and severity of hurri-
canes impacting the United States; 
(11) number, location, and duration of coastal 
flooding events; 
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(12) changes in coastal land cover and other 
ecosystem changes as a result of inundation, erosion, 
storms, and sea level rise; and 
(13) changes in marine species abundance and 
distribution as a result of ocean warming, acidifica-
tion, and other impacts of climate change. 
SEC. 1504. REPORT ON THE ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC 
EFFECTS OF HIGH SEAS FISHING IN THE 
OCEAN AREAS BEYOND NATIONAL JURISDIC-
TION (‘‘ABNJ’’). 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in co-
ordination with the Secretary of State, shall seek to enter 
into an agreement with the National Academies under 
which the National Academies shall— 
(1) study the challenges and opportunities asso-
ciated with implementing a global moratorium on 
high seas commercial fishing; 
(2) evaluate the ecological, social, and economic 
effects of a global moratorium on high seas commer-
cial fishing; 
(3) estimate the scope and volume of illegal, un-
regulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing occurring 
on the high seas fishing; 
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(4) evaluate the percentage of United States 
seafood imports originating from High Seas fishing, 
from both legally reported and IUU fishing; and 
(5) evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions asso-
ciated with the high seas fishing and high seas fish-
ing fleets. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study and evaluation con-
ducted pursuant to the agreement entered into under sub-
section (a) shall address— 
(1) the feasibility of implementing a global mor-
atorium on high seas commercial fishing, includ-
ing— 
(A) legal authorities that exist under the 
United Nations Convention on the Law of the 
Sea and other implementation instruments to 
implement a moratorium on high seas commer-
cial fishing; 
(B) the nations and vessels likely to refuse 
or otherwise fail to comply with such a morato-
rium, including estimates of catch levels by 
those nations and vessels relative to overall 
international catch; and 
(C) available enforcement mechanisms and 
surveillance technology that could be used to 
enforce such a moratorium; and 
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(2) the range of effects that would be expected 
to result from a moratorium on high seas commer-
cial fishing, including— 
(A) identification of fish stocks that would 
be affected, changes in exploitation of those 
stocks, and net effect on the biomass of those 
stocks; 
(B) ecosystem effects on non-target spe-
cies, including marketable and non-marketable 
bycatch, forage species, corals, other inverte-
brates, marine mammals, and sea turtles; 
(C) changes in global carbon emissions 
from reduced fishing vessel transits and from 
increased fish carbon capture and improved 
high seas ecosystem functioning; 
(D) amounts of subsidies that support high 
seas commercial fishing by the top 12 nations 
that currently conduct high seas fishing by vol-
ume; 
(E) effects on global fisheries revenues and 
profits overall and the effects on fisheries reve-
nues and profits for developing nations; 
(F) effects on seafood availability for 
United States consumers; 
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(G) effects on revenues and profits for do-
mestic fishermen; and 
(H) effects on the scope and volume of 
IUU fishing occurring on the high seas. 
(c) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The agreement entered into 
under subsection (a) shall require the National 
Academies to submit to the Secretary of Commerce, 
not later than 2 years after entering into the agree-
ment, a report that describes the results of the study 
and evaluation conducted pursuant to the agree-
ment. 
(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary of 
commerce shall publish the report received under 
paragraph (1) on a public website. 
SEC. 1505. NATIONAL ACADEMIES ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC 
ACCESS TO THE COASTS. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall seek to enter into an 
agreement with the National Academies to conduct a com-
prehensive assessment on public access to the Nation’s 
coasts, including the Great Lakes’ coasts. The assessment 
shall include— 
(1) an analysis of the existing quantity and 
quality of public access points to the coasts by state, 
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including both recreational and commercial (‘‘work-
ing waterfront’’) access; 
(2) opportunities and barriers faced by low in-
come communities, communities of color, Tribal 
communities, Indigenous communities, and rural 
communities for access to the coasts; 
(3) the likely impact of sea level rise and ex-
treme weather on public access points to and access 
along the coasts; and 
(4) Federal mechanisms for preventing the loss 
of access, for mitigating such loss when it occurs, 
and for increasing the quantity, quality, and afford-
ability of public access to the coasts for both rec-
reational and commercial activities. 
SEC. 1506. STUDY EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF OCEAN 
ACIDIFICATION 
AND 
OTHER 
ENVIRON-
MENTAL STRESSORS ON ESTUARINE ENVI-
RONMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
make appropriate arrangements with the National Acad-
emies under which the National Academies shall conduct 
a study that— 
(1) examines the existing science of ocean acidi-
fication in coastal environments; 
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(2) examines the challenges to studying ocean 
acidification and the combined effect of ocean acidi-
fication and other environment stressors in coastal 
environments; 
(3) provides recommendations for improving fu-
ture research with respect to ocean acidification in 
coastal environments; and 
(4) identifies pathways for applying science in 
management and mitigation decisions relating to 
ocean acidification in coastal environments. 
(b) CONTENTS
OF STUDY.—The study conducted 
under subsection (a) shall include— 
(1) the behavior of the carbonate system within 
coastal environments; 
(2) the interactions of the carbonate system 
with other biotic and abiotic characteristics of coast-
al ecosystems; 
(3) how environmental and anthropogenic 
changes or disturbances, such as nutrient runoff and 
water pollution, could affect abiotic and biotic proc-
esses within coastal ecosystems; 
(4) how coastal biotic and abiotic processes will 
be affected under predicted environmental changes; 
(5) the current state of data collection, inter-
pretation, storage, and retrieval and observational 
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infrastructure of abiotic and biotic parameters in 
coastal ecosystems; 
(6) the gaps that exist in understanding the 
socio-economic and health impacts of ocean acidifica-
tion in coastal ecosystems; 
(7) future directions for scientific research; and 
(8) pathways for applying science in manage-
ment and mitigation decisions. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 24 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, in entering into an arrange-
ment under subsection (a), the Secretary shall request 
that the National Academies submit to Congress a report 
detailing the findings of the study. 
Æ 
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