The United States Navy
 Year of the Ocean

International Year of the Ocean
The Navy-Marine Corps Team takes action

A message from the Secretary of the Navy

The United Nations has declared 1998 to be the International Year of the Ocean. This initiative reflects a growing awareness of the ocean's paramount importance to the world economy, environmental well being, and global peace and security. Our Navy-Marine Corps Team will be taking an active role in the Year of the Ocean by promoting public awareness of the value of the ocean to our nation by highlighting the following themes:
The Navy-Marine Corps Team's contribution to achieving our national security objectives is provided by peacetime engagement, deterrence and control of crises. Use of the world's oceans provides us with the capability to execute all three objectives simultaneously — without infringing on any nation's sovereignty. The Freedom of Navigation for ships and aircraft assured by the law of the sea allow commercial as well as military assets and cargoes to move freely on the high seas. One of the nation's highest priorities is to ensure this freedom is exercised and preserved.

The ocean and marine atmosphere affect all aspects of naval warfare. New technologies are being developed by the Navy and fielded to collect and process air, ocean, and sea floor data, for generating real-time tactical support products to support our warfighting and peacekeeping efforts. These efforts are strongly supported by ocean research programs, which account for over 25 percent of the Navy's basic research investment. An overwhelming majority of the Navy's tactical ocean data and research results is shared with the public.

National Defense and Environmental Protection are compatible goals because a healthy ocean supports Naval access. The Navy-Marine corps Team has a significant role in improving and protecting the world's oceans. Our leadership in species protection, in pollution prevention and in compliance is vital to ensure environmental quality. As major caretakers of the open ocean and littoral environments, the Navy and Marine Corps have an obligation to use ocean resources responsibly and wisely.

For over 200 years, the men and women of the Navy-Marine Corps Team have used the world's oceans as their ally for supporting peace and security for the United States and the world. By showing our Naval Team at work using the oceans in varied ways and protecting this precious resource at the same time, we can raise awareness of the important role oceans play in our lives. To help with this goal, a Navy Task Force has been established to coordinate our involvement in the Year of the Ocean activities and to disseminate information on specific events. We will post future information about the Year of the Ocean on the Navy's web site at: www.navy.mil, or you can visit the official government year of the ocean web site directly at www.yoto98.noaa.gov.

I ask all commands to support and promote public awareness of our use and protection of the ocean environment. In doing so, you exercise a unique opportunity to celebrate the Navy-Marine Corps role in understanding, management, exploration, utilization and stewardship of the seas. For the Navy-Marine Corps Team, every year is the "Year of the Ocean."

As the Year of the Ocean progresses, take action, find your programs and contributions, showcase and participate.

return to the Year of the Ocean Return to the Year of the Ocean top page.