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Lesson 13 min 20 XP

Marine Environmental Protection

How international law protects the ocean from pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction.

UNCLOS and the Marine Environment

Part XII of UNCLOS establishes a comprehensive framework for marine environmental protection. States have a general obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment (Article 192) and must take all measures necessary to prevent, reduce, and control pollution from any source (Article 194). This includes land-based pollution (the largest source), vessel-source pollution, dumping, pollution from seabed activities, and atmospheric pollution.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) sets technical standards for shipping, including the MARPOL Convention on pollution prevention. The London Protocol regulates ocean dumping. Regional seas conventions, like those for the Mediterranean, Baltic, and Caribbean, create more specific obligations. Despite this extensive framework, the ocean continues to degrade: marine pollution, ocean acidification, plastic accumulation, and habitat destruction all continue to accelerate.

Marine Environmental Protection | Model Diplomat