The Bbnj Agreement in Action: The Thermal Dome and Comparative Case Studies

By Ronan Long and Mariamalia Rodríguez Chaves

This book sets out a cautionary tale about the legal protection of the ocean and maps out a route towards redemption under the law of the sea, most notably the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement. At its heart is the Thermal Dome, a remarkable upwelling system in the Central Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, whose unique ecosystems and associated biodiversity face growing pressures. Drawing on detailed comparative analyses of five other regional case studies, the book identifies lessons that could inform the future conservation and management of the Thermal Dome. The volume also explores the relationship between the BBNJ Agreement and a wide array of instruments, frameworks and bodies operating in regional seas and at the global level. The narrative identifies sophisticated solutions guided by international law to conserving some of the world's most remarkable ecosystems and biodiversity of the global commons. A legal treatise that reframes Ambassador Arvid Pardo's vision of the ocean as the womb of life.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9004375996
• ISBN13: 9789004375994
• Release Date: December 2026
• Publisher: Brill Nijhoff