PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Besides protecting people and boats, Guardians also protect the country's valuable natural marine resources.

In the fight to protect the biomass within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, we are working on many different fronts. On average, we respond to 11 oil or hazardous chemical spills a day.

If you are involved in this aspect of Coast Guard life, you could find yourself protecting the closed fishing grounds off New England from both local and foreign poachers. Or, you may be assigned on a Coast Guard cutter patrolling in the Bering Sea to prevent foreign vessels from poaching in the fish-rich Alaskan waters.

Or, your job is to stop the illegal use of high-seas driftnets in the Pacific Ocean.

Guardians also play an increasingly important role in the nation's efforts to protect its threatened and endangered species. We have units that help free endangered northern right whales that have become entangled in fishing gear. In Hawaii, we have buoy tenders remove tons of marine debris from the coral-reef habitat of the Hawaiian monk seal.

We have also pioneered the fight against water pollution. Our National Strike Teams are on call 24 hours a day to respond to accidents and spills in the marine environment.

We also enforce federal regulations to reduce the dumping of refuse and sewage from vessels of all types. Through a public education program called Sea Partners, we are promoting the importance of a clean marine environment and are, in addition, working closely with foreign nations and international agencies to reduce the number of marine accidents (and resulting spills) by establishing and strictly enforcing improved safety standards for commercial vessels and their crews.