The Long Blue Line (Summer 2022)

INSIDE THE
EXHIBITS
STEWARDSHIP DECK
PROTECTORS OF THE ENVIRONMENT WING
The Coast Guard protects the Nation’s
waterways and marine ecosystems to ensure all
Americans enjoy a rich, diverse, and sustainable
ocean environment. The Protectors of the
Environment Wing highlights the Coast Guard’s
commitment to responding to environmental
challenges during everyday operations and
during natural or man-made disasters. Because
many people never see this mission in action up
close, unless there is a disaster in their region,
the goal in this wing is place visitors in the middle
of the action, whether it be in underground
marine environments, in the bowels of a cutter
or on shore following a hurricane.
The Living Marine Resources Gallery is
organized by species and chronology. Over time,
various industries, human migratory patterns,
and fashion trends have created threats to
regional and global populations. In the 19th
century, much of the Revenue Cutter Service
work in this area concerned whales, seals, and
the people that sought them, as well as salmon
in the Pacific Northwest, sponges in Florida, and
migratory birds
When whaling became controversial in the early
20th century, the Coast Guard found itself at the
forefront of worldwide opposition to whaling. In
the latter half of that century, the Coast Guard,
with partner agencies and nations, took an active
role in enforcing domestic and international law
on fisheries conservation. This global partnership
now protects the Exclusive Economic Zone,
comprised of 2.25 million square miles of ocean.
28 SUMMER 2022
THE LONG BLUE LINE