“Today the White House released the National Maritime Domain Awareness Plan.  This plan promotes global maritime security and prosperity through improved governance to support the effective understanding of the maritime domain.  Notably, 90 percent of the world’s commerce moves by sea, making maritime security essential to the global supply chain and international trade Consistent with Presidential Policy Directive 18: Maritime Security (PPD-18) and the National Strategy for Maritime Security (NSMS), the National Maritime Domain Awareness Plan merges and supersedes the National Plan to Achieve Maritime Domain Awareness and the Global Maritime Intelligence Integration Plan, each published in 2005 as supporting plans to the NSMS.  The consolidation of the two plans into a single National Maritime Domain Awareness Plan advances the foundation for the effective understanding of actual and potential threats and challenges emanating from or related to the maritime domain.  Using a whole-of-nation approach, at minimal cost, it promotes favorable conditions for integrating and sharing information, including intelligence, to better inform decisions affecting the security, safety, economy, and environment of the United States and the global maritime commons.”