WASHINGTON, DC - All eyes and ears will be focused on the ocean when Members of Congress and ocean experts examine a range of ocean exploration, education, and coral reef preservation issues during this year’s Capitol Hill Oceans Week (CHOW). CHOW events kick off on Tuesday, June 4 and continue with sessions leading up to World Oceans Day on June 8.

Capitol Hill Oceans Week is sponsored and supported by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee’s Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere and Fisheries, the House Oceans Caucus, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Federal Agencies and other ocean stakeholder partners.

CHOW sponsors have come together for an adventure in education: to raise awareness about ocean issues – environmental, economic, security and health related. CHOW will focus specifically on creating a truly ocean literate society and will explore the current risks to our ocean’s coral reefs and the larger marine environment.

"In the tradition of Jacques Cousteau, we need to instill in our young people the excitement and passion for our ocean world," said Senator Ernest F. Hollings, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. "Capitol Hill Oceans Week and its distinguished roster of ocean experts will get the ball rolling to generate national excitement about marine science, ocean exploration, and their potential contributions to improving the ocean, coastal, and human environment."

Representatives Tom Allen, Sam Farr, Jim Greenwood and Curt Weldon, Chairs of the House Oceans Caucus said about Capitol Hill Oceans Week, “The issues being debated, discussed and examined at Capitol Hill Oceans Week are of great importance to our constituents and to all Americans. The oceans, covering over 70% of the earth, are largely unexplored. We simply cannot afford to ignore this vast and essential resource.”

Since its inception, the House Oceans Caucus has created a voice within the Congress on diverse ocean issues by building a bipartisan constituency of more than 50 interested members. The Caucus serves as the House focal point for increasing Congressional awareness on issues of national and international ocean policy.

On June 5, there will be education panels focusing on formal and informal ocean education and outreach efforts. The morning keynote speaker will be the Honorable Leon Panetta, Chair of the Pew Oceans Commission and former White House Chief of Staff and Congressman. Admiral James Watkins, USN (Ret.) will deliver the luncheon keynote address. Other featured speakers include Vice-Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator; Paula Keener-Chavis, National Education Coordinator for NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration, and Dr. Sylvia Earle, Explorer-in-Residence of the National Geographic Society.

June 6 is CHOW’s Coral Reef Day and features a symposium exploring the grave state of our nation’s coral reefs and offering solutions to the current crisis. The keynote speaker will be Jean-Michel Cousteau, President of the Oceans Futures Society. (Cousteau will also speak about coral reefs at a morning press conference in the Rayburn House Office Building Foyer.)

House Oceans Caucus Chairs and several other Members of Congress will make remarks at the symposium, “Coral Reefs at Risk: Challenges and Solutions.” Expert panelists include Dr. Jim Bohnsack of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service; Dr. Richard Kenchington of the International Coral Reef Action Network, and Dr. John McManus, Director of the National Center for Caribbean Coral Reef Research.

Additional CHOW events include a welcoming reception on the evening of June 4 and an ocean technology fair on both June 5 and 6.