S. Res. 552 is a Senate resolution recognizing that human-caused climate change is warming the world's oceans and causing serious environmental and economic harm. The resolution documents that oceans are absorbing roughly 14 zettajoules of excess heat annually and have gained approximately 372 zettajoules since 1955, with projections showing warming rates could increase two to six times by 2100. The resolution highlights specific harms affecting Americans, including threats to coral reefs (worth $3.4 billion annually to the U.S. economy), fish populations that may migrate across international borders, ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms costing $10–100 million yearly, and increased risks of severe hurricanes and public health threats from bacterial pathogens. This is a symbolic measure that does not create new programs, spending, or legal requirements—it simply expresses the Senate's official recognition of ocean warming and its impacts on coastal communities.
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