In coordination with the National Ocean Council, the Department of State is requesting expert reviewers for the draft United Nations World Ocean Assessment (WOA). The WOA assesses the ocean's role in the Earth system, food security and food safety, human activities, and biological diversity.

The U.S. Strategic Plan for Federal Research and Monitoring of Ocean Acidification, released on March 27th, will guide research and monitoring investments to improve understanding of ocean acidification, its potential impacts on marine species and ecosystems, and adaptation and mitigation strategies.

According to a new technical report prepared for the 2013 National Climate Assessment, the Nation's valuable ocean ecosystems and marine resources are already being affected by a changing climate.

According to a new U.S. Geological Survey report, San Francisco Bay - which has already lost the majority of its marsh habitat since the 19th Century - could lose even more marshes by the year 2100, due to sea level rise.