WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held an Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard Subcommittee hearing on The Environmental and Economic Impacts of Ocean Acidification.

Witness List:

Ms. Sigourney Weaver, Actress

Dr. James Barry, Senior Scientist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

Mr. Donny Waters, Commercial Fisherman and the past President of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance based in Florida

Mr. Tom Ingram, Executive Director, Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA)

Dr. John Everett, President, Ocean Associates, Inc.

Key Quotations from Today’s Hearing:

“Earth is the Blue Planet and so, we cannot celebrate Earth Day without celebrating our oceans. On this 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we must remember our oceans and the tremendous wealth they provide—environmental and economic. Together, we have a shared responsibility to conserve our oceans and their rich ecosystems for future generations to come.”

Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

“While more research is needed, there is a clear link between carbon emissions and the resulting impact on the chemistry of the world’s oceans. While some damage has already been done, we can slow down this process by ending our dangerous overreliance on fossil fuels and transitioning to cleaner energy sources. I will keep fighting to craft a responsible, effective, and bipartisan solution to our nation’s energy and climate challenges. On Earth Day, while people think about the health of planet Earth, we must not forget about the oceans. Earth Day is also Oceans Day. While our oceans may seem fine, when you look below the surface as our scientists are doing, you can see that all is not well."

Senator Maria Cantwell, Chairwoman, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard

“The ocean is full of organisms that are so unlike anything we know on land that their very existence seems impossible. For instance, there are life-forms that don’t need light or what we’d think of as food to survive. They simply consume chemicals, such as hydrogen sulfide, that bubble up from deep sea vents. These same features that make the ocean so wonderful – its mystery and otherworldliness – have actually worked to the oceans’ disadvantage, because for many of us, the oceans are out-of-sight and out-of-mind. Their inaccessibility has limited our scientific exploration, and their vastness and power have made them seem indestructible, with endlessly renewing resources.”

Ms. Sigourney Weaver, Actress

“Ocean acidification is changing the chemistry of the oceans at a scale and magnitude greater than thought to occur on Earth for many millions of years, and is expected to cause changes in the growth and survival of a wide variety of marine organisms, potentially leading to massive shifts in ocean ecosystems.”

Dr. James Barry, Senior Scientist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

“Fishing is a way of life for me and a whole lot of other people from coast to coast. Fish and shellfish provide jobs and food. The ocean that makes all this possible needs to be taken care of. People are seeing changes on the water and we don’t yet know why. Without increased research and monitoring we are not going to find out if ocean acidification is eating our lunch. Looking the other way and hoping for the best is not the way I respond to challenges to my livelihood. It’s not the way we should respond as a country, either.”

Mr. Donny Waters, Commercial Fisherman and the past President of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance based in Florida

“The recreational diving industry is dependent on the availability of quality diving and snorkeling sites, and this economic dependency extends to hotels, restaurants, marinas and other businesses associated with coastal and coral reef diving activities.”

Mr. Tom Ingram, Executive Director, Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA)

“The acidification debate has showed us we lack a sufficient understanding of some fundamental chemical and biological processes. The research to resolve these questions should continue and perhaps centrally coordinated so that scarce dollars are targeted at real and important knowledge gaps.”

Dr. John Everett, President, Ocean Associates, Inc.

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