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Thursday morning

Discussions at the Conference will begin with forums organized into four concurrent sessions:

I. Oceans and Commerce
II. Oceans and Global Security
III. Ocean Environment and Health, and
IV. Ocean Exploration, Education, and Research.

During the forums, discussions will focus on the four subject areas and five crosscut topics:

1) ecosystem health; 2) sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources; 3) research; 4) law of the sea; and 5) ocean management.

Following the issue forums, a plenary session will convene during which highlights of the four subject areas from the morning sessions will be presented. Discussion during the plenary will then move to and center on the five crosscut issues.

(Naval Postgraduate School) (All times are Pacific Daylight Time)
8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Welcome
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Issues Forums
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch (Environmental Hero Awards/Debut of Year of the Ocean PSA)
1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Plenary Session with Vice President Gore

Thursday afternoon

Plenary moderated by Vice President Gore. Forum chairmen will give brief report of highlights of general discussion. The Vice President will then lead a discussion of the four issue forums and the five crosscutting issues to begin building an ocean agenda for the 21st century.

Friday morning

Ocean programs and Policies for the 21^st century. Remarks by Secretary of Commerce William Daley, Navy Secretary John Dalton, Vice President Al Gore and keynote address by President Bill Clinton.

(San Carlos Park)
9:30 a.m. - 11:15 p.m. Ocean Programs and Policies for the 21st Century
11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Remarks by Vice President Gore, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and keynote address by President Bill Clinton.

Conference Results

The National Ocean Conference is designed to:

• demonstrate the interlinked nature of ocean issues;
• bring together various interest groups to work on common ocean interests;
• encourage greater public awareness and environmental support for coastal ocean issues;
• initiate the development of a shared vision of America's Ocean Agenda for the 21st Century; and
• contribute an official message to the world community as it celebrates the International Year of the Ocean.

Products of the Conference will be a summary report of issue forums and plenary discussion of crosscut issues, and the President's remarks.

Highlights of these will be presented to an international audience on U. S. Day (14th June) at the Expo '98 oceans-focused World's Fair in Lisbon.