WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Lisa Murkowski will be honored today for her continued work and dedication in responsible ocean policy and science advocacy – receiving the Admiral James D. Watkins Congressional Leadership Award at the Consortium for Ocean Leadership’s 2013 policy forum.

As the Republican co-founder of the U.S. Senate Oceans Caucus and Ranking Member on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Murkowski has served a critical role championing oceans and Arctic policy in Congress.

“Oceans make up over 70 percent of our planet’s surface, and without healthy oceans we do not have a healthy planet,” said Murkowski. “We need to vigilantly protect them from threats, whether from catastrophic tsunami debris or genetically engineered fish. Oceans are our farms, our factories, the original water parks and a cornerstone part of our planet’s future.”

Senator Murkowski’s fight for ocean policies has included various pieces of legislation. She most recently joined her Senate colleagues in introducing a number of bipartisan bills that would protect America’s oceans from threats both foreign and domestic.

The Watkins Award is conveyed by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, a Washington-DC based nonprofit organization that represents more than 100 of the nation’s leading public and private ocean research and education institutions, aquaria and industry.