▁ ▁In vest ment ▁and ▁Im plementation ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁previous ▁review ▁of ▁U . S . ▁ocean ▁policy ▁had ▁been ▁conducted ▁thirty - five ▁years ▁before ▁by ▁the ▁Str at ton ▁Commission , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁To ▁account ▁for ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁interven ing ▁years , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Congress ▁decided ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁Commission ▁on ▁Ocean ▁Policy ▁to ▁conduct ▁a ▁new ▁review , ▁and ▁develop ▁recommend ations ▁for ▁future ▁ocean ▁policy . ▁ ▁The ▁O ce ans ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁was ▁passed ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁June ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁become ▁effective ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁Commission ▁is ▁composed ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁members . ▁Per ▁the ▁Act , ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁and ▁Senate ▁Major ity ▁each ▁nominated ▁eight ▁people , ▁and ▁the ▁President ▁appointed ▁four ▁from ▁each ▁list . ▁ ▁The ▁Commission ▁ ▁began ▁its ▁work ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁with ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁nine ▁regional ▁meet ings ▁and ▁ 1 8 ▁additional ▁site ▁vis its ▁in ▁every ▁coast al ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁Great ▁L akes . ▁The ▁Commission ▁heard ▁testim ony ▁from ▁ 4 4 5 ▁exper ts , ▁including ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁top ▁ocean ▁scient ists ▁and ▁research ers , ▁ ▁environmental ▁organizations , ▁industry , ▁citizens , ▁and ▁government ▁officials , ▁ ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁receiving ▁written