Silver anniversary of the united states' exclusive economic zone: Twenty-five years of ocean use and abuse, and the possibility of a blue water public trust doctrine

Sustainably managing marine ecosystems has proved nearly impossible, few success stories. Ecosystem management failures largely stem from the traditional sector-by-sector, issue-by-issue approach to managing ocean-borne activities-an approach that is fundamentally unable to keep pace with the dynamics of coupled human, ecological and oceanographic systems. In the United States today there are over twenty federal agencies and thirty-five coastal states and territories operating under dozens of statutory authorities shaping coastal and ocean policy. Among marine ecologists and policy experts is an emerging consensus that a major overhaul in US. ocean governance is necessary. This Article suggests that the public trust doctrine- ancient legal concept that is already incorporated in US. state coastal