“President Joe Biden’s laudable Jan. 27 executive order, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” calls for (among other things) conserving 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. In response, U.S. scientists on Monday sent a letter to the president urging him to “go big” on ocean protection as part of the “30×30” initiative.

Many marine scientists are concerned that the administration’s “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful” plan released last month fell short on ocean protection, and it made no mention of establishing Marine National Monuments.

Rick Steiner is a marine conservation biologist in Anchorage, Alaska. A former marine conservation professor at University of Alaska, Steiner is founder and director of the nonprofit Oasis Earth, member of the board of advisors for The Ocean Foundation, member of the board of directors of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and author of “Oasis Earth: Planet in Peril.””