glossary

Abyssopelagic Zone: also known as the abyss, extending from a depth of 4,000 metres to the ocean floor, generally around 6,000 metres.

Afforestation (or ocean afforestation): the regrowing or reforesting of an area in the ocean with macroalgae.

The Area: the seabed and ocean floor beyond national jurisdiction [see UNCLOS Part XI]. Licenses to explore and exploit non-living resources in this area, proclaimed the common heritage of (hu)mankind, are provided by the International Seabed Authority.

Archipelagic States: States consisting of multiple islands. The outermost islands are connected by archipelagic baselines, the waters inside these lines are archipelagic waters with a right of innocent passage for flag States [see UNCLOS Part IV].

ABJ/Area Beyond national Jurisdiction: outside national jurisdiction, the water column is deemed the High Seas, the seabed and ocean floor are known as the Area.

ABMT/Area Based Management Tools: management plan to regulate human activity in a specified area to achieve conservation or sustainable resource management objectives.

Baseline: usually the low-water line, States are required to set their baselines, report them to the United Nations Secretary-General and measure all other maritime zones from this line [see UNCLOS articles 5-14].

Bathypelagic Zone: the midnight zone, extending in depth from 1,000 to 4,000 metres.

BBNJ/Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: marine life found in the High Seas, beyond national jurisdiction.

Coastal State: a State or country with a coastline.

Common Heritage of (Hu)Mankind: the principle included in UNCLOS, whereby all non-living resources found in The Area belong to humankind as a whole.

Contiguous Zone: a maritime zone which extends between 12 and 24 nautical miles from the baseline. States may prevent and punish infractions of customs, sanitary, taxation and immigration regulations in this zone [see UNCLOS Part II].

Continental Shelf: the seabed of a coastal State from the baseline to 200 nautical miles or up to 350 nautical miles if certain geomorphologic, distance and depth conditions are ascertained and approved by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, a 21 member body elected by the Meeting of the States Parties to UNCLOS, based in New York [see UNCLOS Part VI].

Coral bleaching: as water temperatures rise, coral polyps expel the algae which live inside their tissue and give them their vibrant colours, leaving their white skeletons to shine through.

EBM/ Ecosystem-based Management: an environmental management approach taking into consideration all interactions within an ecosystem.

EBSA/Ecologically and Biologically Sensitive Area: an area which has been identified through formal scientific assessments as having special biological or ecological significance.

Epipelagic Zone: the ocean sunlight zone which extends from the ocean’s surface to a depth of 200 metres.

Environmental Impact Assessment: assessment of the environmental consequences (positive and/or negative) of a plan, policy, programme, or project prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action.

Eutrophication: the process by which water becomes enriched with dissolved nutrients that stimulate the growth of plant life usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen.

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): maritime zone of up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline, including the seabed and the water column. States exercise sovereign rights and jurisdiction on all resource-related activities, including artificial islands and installations, marine scientific research and the protection of the environment. Other States enjoy freedoms of navigation, overflight and the laying of cables and pipelines in this zone [see UNCLOS Part V]. The largest Exclusive Economic Zones belong to the USA, France, Australia, Russia, New Zealand and the UK.

Flag State: every commercial or merchant vessel must carry a flag - the flag State is the country where a merchant vessel is registered. The vessel lies under this State’s jurisdiction and the State is responsible for inspecting and certifying the vessel in conformity with regulations established by the International Maritime Organization.

FRA/Fisheries Restricted Area: a geographically defined area in which some specific fishing activities are temporarily or permanently banned or restricted in order to improve the conservation of specific stocks.

Hadalpelagic Zone: the area contained in ocean trenches below the ocean floor at an average depth of around 6,000 metres down to, for example, the Mariana Trench, the deepest known trench at 10,983 metres.

High Seas: 61.4% of the ocean lies in this maritime zone beyond all coastal State control, it includes the water column and the air above it but not the seabed and ocean floor (see The Area, above) [see UNCLOS Part VII].

HNS/Hazardous and Noxious Substance: any substance other than oil likely to induce harm to living resources and human health or that has a harmful impact in the environment if introduced in the sea.

Innocent Passage: a ship’s right to pass through the territorial sea of a coastal State in an innocent way. UNCLOS establishes this right and provides a definition of ‘innocent’, i.e. it may not be prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State, listing 12 activities as examples (mainly military operations such as weapons practice or launching, landing or taking on board any aircraft or military device). The passage should be continuous and expeditious, vessels may not stop or anchor except in situations of force majeure. Submarines and underwater vehicles conducting innocent passage must navigate on the surface and show their flag [see UNCLOS articles 17-21].

ICZM/Integrated Coastal Zone Management: management of the coast using an integrated approach, regarding all aspects of the coastal zone, including geographical and political boundaries.

IUU/Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fisheries: any fishing activity which takes place without permission or against regional or local laws and regulations. IUU fisheries undermines national and regional efforts to conserve and manage fish stocks.

Islands: in order to generate maritime zones, an island must be able to sustain human habitation or economic life and be above water at high tide [see UNCLOS Part VIII].

Landlocked countries: 44 States have no coastline but do have access to the ocean via transit States. UNCLOS allows land-locked States a right of transit across the territory of neighbouring States in order to obtain access to the sea [see UNCLOS Part X].

MGRs/Marine Genetic Resources: marine biological material which contains genes and/or metabolic material that may be derived from genes.

MPAs/Marine Protected Areas: zones declared by States to enjoy different levels of protection.

Mesopelagic Zone: the twilight zone, ranging from 200 metres down to 1,000 metres in depth.

National Jurisdiction: the waters controlled by the coastal State.

NM/Nautical Mile: 1 NM equals 1.852 kilometres.

Polymetallic Nodules, Ferromanganese Crusts and Polymetallic Sulphides: mineral deposits found on the seabed or on rocky surfaces containing various combinations of manganese, copper, nickel, cobalt, lead, zinc and other metals such as indium, germanium, bismuth and selenium.

Port State: when a ship is in a port it lies under the jurisdiction of that port State. The port State can carry out inspections of ships to ensure that the condition of the vessel and equipment onboard comply with the requirements of international regulations and that the ship is manned and operated in compliance with these rules.

Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO), Regional Fisheries Organization (RFO) or Regional Fisheries Body (RFB): international organizations dedicated to the sustainable management of fisheries resources in a particular region of international waters.

Straits: a naturally formed, narrow waterway that connects two larger bodies of water. UNCLOS guarantees the freedom of navigation through straits which run through the territorial sea of States to the greatest extent possible, restricting the coastal State’s competence in order to allow flag States the right of transit passage [see UNCLOS Part III].

SDGs/Sustainable Development Goals: in 2015 the United Nations set 17 Sustainable Development Goals, an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - to end poverty and other deprivations using strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. SDG14 is dedicated to the oceans: to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Territorial Sea: maritime zone of up to 12 nautical miles counting from the baseline which lies under the jurisdiction of the coastal State [see UNCLOS Part II].

Territorial Waters: sometimes used to refer to all waters under the jurisdiction of the coastal State.

Transit Passage: the right of transit passage is established as the continuous and expeditious transit through an international strait between one part of the high seas or an EEZ and another part of the high seas or an EEZ. Transit passage differs to innocent passage in that it regulates the airspace as well as the water column and fewer restrictions are imposed, for example submarines do not need to surface but may conduct transit passage submerged [see UNCLOS article 37-39].

UNCLOS/United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: the main legal instrument regulating the uses of the ocean, the full text is available here.