Oceans cover over 70 percent of the planet. They provide irreplaceable wildlife habitat, food for hundreds of species (including people), and endless hours of recreation. But, though they seem limitless, our oceans are in crisis.

Over the past four months, I've told you about the work being done confirming that there is a crisis facing the oceans and what we can do to solve the problem. Thanks to your timely action, 37 governors have weighed in on the side of protecting our oceans.

Now, the White House is about to get a report from the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy - whose members were appointed by President Bush - that lays out the problems facing our oceans and how to solve them.

Please take a moment to call and urge the White House to heed the recommendations made by these ocean experts and take advantage of this chance to make real progress towards protecting our oceans. Then, ask your family and friends to help by forwarding this message to them.

You can call James Connaughton, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, at 202-456-6224. Here's a sample message you can leave:

"Hello, my name is _____ and I live in _______. Please implement the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's recommendations to make the conservation of ocean ecosystems the primary responsibility of oceans management."

Then, let us know you called so that we can keep track of the number of calls everyone has made. This is an important part of our work! To report your call, click on this link or paste it into your web browser: pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=791&id4=OHFreep