Our oceans are in trouble. Extreme threats including habitat destruction, overfishing, pollution, development and climate change are wreaking havoc on ocean ecosystems. The sea covers nearly three quarters of our planet. And yet today, less than 1 percent of the ocean is protected, compared with more than 12 percent of land.

As a result, today's oceans are sick. Ninety percent of top predators that keep our oceans healthy are gone, 52 percent of the ocean's fisheries are fully exploited, more than one-fifth of coral reefs have been destroyed and vast, pollution-caused "dead zones" dot the ocean floor.

People depend on the ocean for food, oxygen, lifesaving medicines, and a stable climate. We need the ocean to survive.It is critical that we make ocean health a global priority. I am urging you to commit to protecting 15 percent of our oceans by 2020.