Abstract The 2004 Pew Ocean Commission report suggests a need to improve public literacy about oceans. The authors of the report assume that enhancing public awareness and knowledge of oceans will lead to increased public support for ocean restoration efforts. Following this line of reasoning, our study investigates current levels of public knowledge and informedness concerning oceans, and also explores the correlates of knowledge holding. Using data gathered from a national random sample of 1233 citizens in Summer/Fall 2003, two hypotheses—trans-situational and situation-specific—are examined as explanations of public knowledge levels concerning ocean policy issues. The trans-situational hypothesis evaluates socioeconomic status (SES) as an explanation for levels of knowledge. The situation-specific hypothesis evaluates personal experiences and contexts that might overcome SES characteristics. We also examine the effect of information source use on knowledge holding. Findings suggest that both trans-situational and situation-specific hypotheses are useful in explaining knowledge levels. We also find that information sources, such as newspapers and the internet, are likely to improve citizen knowledge on ocean issues, while television and radio have a negative effect.