Our oceans are in big trouble: overfishing and climate change threaten survival of marine life and habitat as we know it. And if they go, so do thousands of jobs, species, and irreplaceable resources.

Currently, what passes for ocean policy is an ineffective bureaucratic nightmare scattered across three Department, two Administrative agencies, the Army Corps of Engineers, and various state and county-level agencies.

In order to reverse the declines and protect the health of the oceans, we need a comprehensive National Ocean Policy.  Last year, President Obama became the first President in U.S. history to advocate for such an approach.

Just last week, the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force released its draft framework for a national policy for our coasts and seas. But it will require serious pressure to make sure those words turn into action amidst the tidal wave of pressing issues on the agenda for 2010.

Let the President and Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality know that you want swift action to establish a comprehensive National Ocean Policy this year.