As the high seas treaty enters into force, ocean science still races ahead of governance

The treaty governs nearly half the ocean beyond national jurisdiction, yet less than a third of the seafloor is mapped and most marine life remains undocumented.

Scientific observation of the ocean is accelerating, even as governance struggles to keep pace. (NOAA)

For decades, the vast blue wilderness covering half of our planet has been a lawless frontier. Nations protected their shorelines, but not the high seas where anyone could fish, sail, or explore with almost no rules protecting life beneath the waves.

Tha…