Protect the Marine Environment

Vibrant white-dotted red starfish against a coral reef

The world’s coastal waters and oceans are deteriorating due to increasing coastal development, pollution from ships, and habitat destruction. Most pronounced in near-coastal and estuarine regions, the degradation of coastal and oceanic waters is significant and both developed and developing countries contribute to the problem.

EPA is working to reduce marine degradation in different ways. Globally, EPA works with the International Maritime Organization to develop and implement legal standards that address vessel source pollution and ocean dumping. EPA has also focused on reducing land-based sources of marine pollution in the Gulf of Mexico and the wider Caribbean region through implementation of the Land-Based Sources Protocol. This protocol was concluded in 1999 through the Regional Seas Programme of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Additionally, EPA will pursue the application of efficient watershed management and wastewater treatment practices worldwide, as well as low-impact development. Other areas of emphasis include invasive species, ocean dumping, the protection of coral reefs, and the monitoring of harmful algal blooms.

	Collaboration - Policy Development
Approach	Policy Development: Global Ban on Tributyltin - The EPA spearheaded an international agreement on the use of tributyltin (TBT) on ships that has decreased the global use of chemical anti-foulants.
Result	Eighty percent of the world's merchant fleet has since converted to tin-free hull coatings, dramatically reducing the toxic load to marine life.

Protect the Marine Environment

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Collaboration - Policy Development

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