NOAA Administrator, Dr. Jane Lubchenco , will give the keynote address to leading government policy makers, scientists, non-governmental groups and federal agency officials at the opening session of the Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) Symposium, hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF), on June 9th at the Reserve Officers Association building on Capitol Hill.
The theme for this year’s eighth annual CHOW symposium, scheduled for June 9-11, is The BLUE Economy: Understanding the Ocean’s Role in Our Nation’s Financial Future. The goal of this year’s Capitol Hill Ocean Week is to highlight the inextricable link between the ocean and the economy, and to suggest tangible ways sound ocean policies might impact improvements in our economy.
"What began as a ‘day’ in June of 2001, a year later became a ‘week,’ and since then has evolved into an important and much anticipated annual ocean policy forum held in our nation’s capitol," said Joy Williams , acting president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. "This year’s symposium is more timely and important than ever because our nation’s economic well-being is tied directly to the health of our ocean."