Chapters throughout this book assess the roles and impact upon oceans management of the institutions both inside and outside the Convention's framework, as well as the United Nations General Assembly as concerns its coordinating role in the field of oceans and law of the sea. Questions addressed concern the interpretation of the Convention's substantive provisions and how these various institutions interact. The impetus to resolve these and other challenges in the law of the sea and oceans management will ensure the law of the sea's continuing evolution in the years ahead.

This book describes emerging and unresolved sustainability issues related to the oceans and marine environment, for policy makers, students and academics.

Ocean science connects a global community of scientists in many disciplines - physics, chemistry, biology, geology and geophysics. New observational and computational technologies are transforming the ability of scientists to study the global ocean with a more integrated and dynamic approach. This enhanced understanding of the ocean is becoming ever more important in an economically and geopolitically connected world, and contributes vital information to policy and decision makers charged with addressing societal interests in the ocean. Science provides the knowledge necessary to realize the benefits and manage the risks of the ocean. Comprehensive understanding of the global ocean is fundamental to forecasting and managing risks from severe storms, adapting to the impacts of climate change, and managing ocean resources. In the United States, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is the primary funder of the basic research which underlies advances in our understanding of the ocean. Sea Change addresses the strategic investments necessary at NSF to ensure a robust ocean scientific enterprise over the next decade. This survey provides guidance from the ocean sciences community on research and facilities priorities for the coming decade and makes recommendations for funding priorities.

Describing the emerging and unresolved issues related to the oceans and the marine environment, this book presents the developments made in marine science and policy since the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and implications for the sustainable management of ocean areas and resources. This comprehensive volume also provides a number of scientific, policy, and legal tools to address such issues, and to ensure better science-based management of the oceans. Topics covered include the impacts of human-induced climate change on the oceans, the marine genetic resources debate, the current legal framework for the oceans, and a comparative study of the legal issues associated with outer space. Including practical examples and worldwide case studies, this book is a valuable resource for policy makers, students and academics, in marine science and policy, ocean affairs, and the law of the sea.

Predicting Future Oceans: Sustainability of Ocean and Human Systems Amidst Global Environmental Change provides a synthesis of our knowledge of the future state of the oceans. The editors undertake the challenge of integrating diverse perspectives—from oceanography to anthropology—to exhibit the changes in ecological conditions and their socioeconomic implications. Each contributing author provides a novel perspective, with the book as a whole collating scholarly understandings of future oceans and coastal communities across the world. The diverse perspectives, syntheses and state-of-the-art natural and social sciences contributions are led by past and current research fellows and principal investigators of the Nereus Program network. This includes members at 17 leading research institutes, addressing themes such as oceanography, biodiversity, fisheries, mariculture production, economics, pollution, public health and marine policy. This book is a comprehensive resource for senior undergraduate and postgraduate readers studying social and natural science, as well as practitioners working in the field of natural resources management and marine conservation. - Provides a synthesis of our knowledge on the future state of the oceans - Includes recommendations on how to move forwards - Highlights key social aspects linked to ocean ecosystems, including health, equity and sovereignty

Biliana Cicin-Sain and Robert W. Knecht are co-directors of the Center for the Study of Marine Policy at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware and co-authors of The Future of U.S. Ocean Policy (Island Press, 1998).

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention. The Tribunal is open to States Parties to the Convention. It is also open to entities other than States Parties (States and international organizations non-parties to the Convention and natural or juridical persons) in cases provided for in the Convention or other agreements conferring jurisdiction on the Tribunal. The Yearbook will give lawyers, scholars, students as well as the general public easy access to information about the jurisdiction, procedure and organization of the Tribunal and also about its composition and activities in 2004. The Yearbook is prepared by the Registry of the Tribunal and is also available in French (Annuaire 2004).