National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to rise in support of H.R. 2533, The National Estuaries and Acidification Research (NEAR) Act.

I want to thank Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Congressman Brian Mast for working with me to advance this important legislation.

I also want to thank the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for their valuable input.

The NEAR Act is a national proposal with a very special personal connection. People in my district--the 8th district of Florida-- understand in a very deep way, the economic and environmental importance of the ocean and our estuary--the Indian River Lagoon.

This bill focuses on estuaries--those wondrous nurseries and homes for sea life.

Unfortunately, the Indian River Lagoon, and other valuable estuaries throughout the country, are being threatened by ocean acidification, along with other stressors.

Scientists tell us that when carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, about one third of that carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater, creating carbonic acid.

Shellfish and other marine organisms don't do well in acidic waters. We know that.

We have over a decade of research on the impacts of acidification in the open ocean. Unfortunately, we don't have the same kind of knowledge about acidification in estuaries and waters near our shores.

We need to deepen our investment in research in our estuaries so we can protect and restore our estuaries and defend our environment and coastal economy.

The story of my district and the Indian River Lagoon plays out along our entire national coastline. More than half of the U.S. population lives in coastal areas.

Five years ago, Congresswoman Bonamici and I cofounded the bipartisan Congressional Estuary Caucus to preserve and restore our estuaries. Coastal watershed counties provide an estimated 69 million U.S. jobs and contribute an estimated $7.9 trillion to the GDP annually.

The National Academy study authorized by the NEAR Act is a great step toward filling in the gaps in our knowledge of how acidification affects our estuaries--both environmentally and economically.

Mr. Speaker, when we take care of our environment, we take care of ourselves, and therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me in taking this important step toward understanding how ocean acidification affects our precious estuaries and support this bill today.

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