Aquatic ecosystems are bodies of water that support communities of marine or freshwater organisms dependent upon each other and their environment. Human development, encroachment and pollution have damaged more than 70% of our nation's rivers and streams, some of them severely. Nearly 40% of our nation's rivers and streams do not meet standards for swimming safety or fishing sustainability. Non-point source pollution such as soil erosion from logging, oil runoff from city streets, acid mine drainage and nutrients from farm fertilizers are blamed for some of the destruction to our streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries, islands, wetlands, beaches and vernal pools. Healthy aquatic ecosystems benefit us by filtering pollutants from our water supply and providing spawning, feeding and nursery habitats for our fisheries. They also provide countless recreational opportunities for millions of Americans. Advocates say that in order for these degraded ecosystems to regain their functionality, they must be returned to their original condition - or as close to it as possible.

Pending Legislation: H.R.1332 - Aquatic Biodiversity Preservation Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Dave Min (CA)
Status: House Committee on Natural Resources
Chair: Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR)

• I oppose reforming current aquatic ecosystems policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Mike Johnson (LA).
• I support using genomic data to enhance the scientific understanding, conservation, management, and enforcement efforts related to aquatic species by:
  
  1.) Improving the scientific understanding and preservation of aquatic biodiversity, which could help with issues like climate change and coastal resilience.
  
  2.) Authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to oversee the creation of a program to sequence the genomes of aquatic species.
  
  3.) Coordinating the program with various organizations, including federal and state agencies, tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions, to accomplish its goals.
  
  4.) Identifying and cataloging specimens, collecting genetic samples of priority species, and sequencing their genomes to support conservation, management, and enforcement efforts.
  
  5.) Requiring the sequenced genomes and associated data, such as collection location and date, to be submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) for public access within 360 days of being sequenced.
  
  And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.