The Ocean Principals Group, consisting of senior representatives from all civilian and military agencies with ocean-related activities, manages the Federal role in the Year of the Ocean. It has also made possible a national Year of the Ocean effort through establishment of a joint project agreement with the Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. This agreement provides a mechanism for coordination among "stakeholders" from government, private industry, non-government organizations, and the academic sector.

The Ocean Principals Group has identified seven themes-- Maritime Transportation, National Security, Ocean Resources, Marine Environmental Quality, Recreation and Tourism, and Weather, Climate and Natural Hazards-- and four cross-cutting issues-- science, technology, and research; Legal Framework, Management of Ocean Areas, Uses and Resource; and Education and Exploration. Stakeholders will be engaged in an examination of these themes and issues and in the development of an agenda to take advantage of the opportunities for action that the Year of the Ocean provides.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)	The U.S Department of Commerce
National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA)	U.S Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers	The Oceanographer of the Navy, Department of Defense
Office of Naval Research (ONR), Department of Defense	Office of Policy and International Affairs, Department of Energy
Office of Fossil Energy, Department of Energy	U.S Geological Survey (USGS), Department of Interior
Office of Marine Law and Policy, Department of State
U.S Agency for International Development (USAID), Global Environmental Center, Department of State	U.S Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Science Foundation (NSF)	Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Smithsonian Institution	The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)	Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)
The United States Coast Guard