American Bar Association Energy and Resources Committees

Marine Resources Committee

2010-2011 Committee Chair:

Robin K. Craig, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

2009-2010 Committee Awards

This Committee was recognized with the following award within the Energy and Resources Committees. (more)

• 2009-2010 Best Programs Award

About the Committee

If the ancients had known what the earth was really like,
they undoubtedly would have named it Oceanus.
from The Matchless Phenomenon of the Sea

The Marine Resources Committee is "oceancentric,” focusing on issues related to the largest ecosystem on Earth, covering more than seventy percent of the earth's surface. The Committee looks at issues arising from the protection and use of coastal and ocean areas, including the Great Lakes' "sweet water seas," and the multiple stressors that operate on ocean and coastal ecosystems. Activities of interest are as diverse as the marine ecosystems, and include marine transportation, from tankers and cruise ships to maritime security; exploration and production of natural resources such as oil, gas and minerals; ports and terminals; weather and climate change; and fishing and aquaculture (a key item, given that fisheries provide the main source of protein for nearly half of the world's six billion people). Legal issues are equally diverse, ranging from the "harvest" of marine mineral and biological resources to pollution from vessels, atmospheric deposition, sewage and coastal zone development and degradation, to non-indigenous or exotic nuisance species.

Of course, the Committee leadership will strive to keep our members informed of these developments as they occur, through e-mail communications and committee newsletters. Another possible development in the next two years, for example, is the United States ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Marine Resources Committee includes lawyers from private practice, government, public interest and academia, as well as scientists, research fellows and experts in marine resources issues. Our members not only think about these issues, but work on one or more of them on a regular basis. We welcome your membership in the Marine Resources Committee and encourage you to participate in this expanding area of environmental law. Thank you for learning about us. With so many issues, events, and interesting people, we think in joining us that you, too, will become "oceancentric."

Committee Resources

	Ocean and Coastal Law and Policy The country's ocean and coastal laws and policies in many ways mirror the very resources they were created to manage, restore, and protect: they are complex, intertwined, and fluid. Newly published by the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, Ocean and Coastal Law and Policy provides an authoritative yet practical resource for practioners, government officials, and scholars to understand and build upon the current legal framework of our ocean and coastal policies.

	Evolution of Natural Resources Law and Policy The contributors to The Evolution of Natural Resources Law and Policy do more than take a look at the past, however: they chart the course of the future as well. Throughout the book shows how the role of the federal government continues to be a complex one, as markets and private actors become more visible participants in the current policy arena.

	Endangered Species Act: Law, Policy, and Perspectives, Second Edition The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) provides a comprehensive approach to the complex problem of species extinction. Endangered Species Act: Law, Policy and Perspectives is an authoritative guide to the history of the ESA, the Act's most critical sections, the twists and turns of its implementation, and the cutting-edge issues facing the protection of endangered wildlife and its habitat. This updated edition serves as a guide for both the novice and the more experienced practitioner to the ins and outs of the ESA.

	Basic Practice Series: ESA (Endangered Species Act) This guide to the Endangered Species Act explains the statute and the regulations implementing the Act. Topics covered include: Listing and critical habitat designation; Conservation: Section 7(a)(1) and recovery planning; Prohibited acts and penalties; Section 7 consultation; Incidental take permits; The Section 7 exemption process; State/federal interactions under the ESA; International applications; Experimental populations; and Citizen suits, standing and procedure.