Washington, D.C. – The following statement was issued by Jeff Watters, senior director of Government Relations at Ocean Conservancy, in response to today’s introduction of the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2019 by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI). A House companion bill was introduced by Representatives Darren Soto (D-FL) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR):

“We’re thrilled to see Senators Rubio, Schatz, Scott and Hirono and Representatives Soto and González-Colón take a leadership role on coral health. By developing a resilience strategy and authorizing federal funds for coral reef resilience work, the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act is a big step forward in the effort to restore and conserve our coral reefs.

“Coral reefs provide critical habitat for marine wildlife and valuable tourism opportunities, supporting our coastal communities and a healthy marine ecosystem. Ocean Conservancy is pleased to support this legislation.”

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Jeff Watters is available for media interviews upon request.

Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.