Sustaining marine life beyond boundaries: Options for an implementing agreement for marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

For nearly a decade, governments have been discussing the need to improve efforts to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). Support for a new international agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) – an Implementing Agreement – on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in ABNJ has been growing. In June 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, States agreed to take a decision on the development of an international instrument under UNCLOS before the end of the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which runs from September 2014 to August 2015. In follow-up to this commitment, it was agreed to consider the “scope, parameters and feasibility” of this instrument. To inform these international discussions, this article highlights some potential options for the content of a new UNCLOS Implementing Agreement. It first reviews the history of UN discussions, and then elaborates on options to address key elements identified as priorities for States in 2011: marine genetic resources, including the sharing of benefits, area-based management tools, including marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology. It addresses cross-cutting issues such as the governing principles, institutional structure as well as on other critical points such as High Seas fishing and flag State responsibilities. The article concludes with suggestions on possible next steps in order to succeed in the negotiations for an agreement.     

Valuing the health benefits of physical activities in the marine environment and their importance for marine spatial planning

The marine environment provides a number of services which contribute to human well-being including the provision of food, regulation of climate and the provision of settings for cultural gains. To ensure these services continue to be provided, effective management is required and is being strategically implemented through the development of marine spatial plans. These plans require an understanding of the costs and benefits associated with alternative marine uses and how they contribute to human well-being. One benefit which is often difficult to quantify is the health benefit of engaging with the marine environment. To address this, the research develops an approach which can estimate the contribution aquatic physical activities makes to quality adjusted life years (QALYs) in monetary and non-monetary terms. Using data from the Health Survey for England, the research estimates that physical activities undertaken in aquatic environments at a national level provides a total gain of 24,853 QALYs. A conservative estimate of the monetary value of a QALY gain of this magnitude is £176 million. This approach provides estimates of health benefits which can be used in more comprehensive impact assessments, such as cost-benefit analysis, to compare alternative marine spatial plans. The paper concludes by discussing future steps.     

南海北部陆坡30 ka以来的沉积环境演变

南海是西太地区最大的边缘海,汇集了周边陆地大量碎屑物质。这些陆源碎屑通过复杂的洋流系统经陆坡大量的输送到南海深海海盆中,使陆坡成为研究深海沉积物源汇体系不可缺少的重要环节。但陆坡区域水深变化大,洋流体系复杂,加之冰期间冰期海平面升降和季风的变化,使陆坡沉积环境一直成为研究的难点。为了研究陆坡沉积环境的演变过程,本文选用了南海北部陆坡中部和底部的两个重力柱开展元素地球化学方面的研究,探讨陆坡区域近三万年以来的沉积环境特征。研究发现海平面和季风是影响区域沉积环境的两个重要因素：（1）海平面变化是控制陆坡陆源物质/深海钙质碎屑变化的主要因素;（2）研究区域地层发育有“碳酸盐稀释事件”与东亚夏季风在全新世初期（11.5～8.5 kaBP）增强有关。     

砂质基底领海基点的保护范围选划及管理研究——以外磕脚领海基点为例

领海基点对于维护国家海洋权益等意义重大。文章基于外磕脚领海基点的保护实践工作,从前期准备、现场调查方法、保护范围选划结果3个方面,开展砂质基点领海基点保护范围选划的案例研究,据此提出砂质基底领海基点保护范围的选划依据和方法。研究表明:砂质基底领海基点的保护范围选划应依据海岛的特殊属性,由保护对象的边界向外延伸至潮汐水道,并充分体现地貌整体性和连续性。针对砂质基底领海基点保护,文章建议应加强工程手段实现基底稳定,维护领海基点安全;加强领海基点外业调查,夯实领海基点地形水文资料基础;加大领海基点巡查力度,持续推进领海基点实时动态监视监测;加强部门沟通协调,完善领海基点信息管理系统;加大宣传教育,树立全民海洋海岛意识等保护管理建议,为领海基点的保护管理工作提供理论和实践探索。     

A legal regime for the Arctic?: Interplay with the Law of the Sea Convention

The Law of the Sea Convention constrains regional environmental regimes, especially with respect to navigation beyond the territorial sea. Existing soft-law institutions, notably the Arctic Council, have already strengthened environmental governance in the region by (1) improving the knowledge base; (2) preparing practical guidance on risk reduction; (3) highlighting in broader regulatory fora the Arctic dimension of problems like long-range transported hazardous compounds; and (4) supporting the capacity of Arctic states to implement existing commitments. None of those functions would be much enhanced by a legally binding Arctic environmental regime. The political impediments to reaching circumpolar agreement on a single comprehensive legal regime would suggest a flexible approach to norm building that seeks productive interplay with existing institutions.     

县级海域生态环境质量评价技术方法研究 ——以普陀区海域为例

文章构建了县级海域生态环境质量评价指标体系,建立了县级海域环境质量系数计算模型、县级海域生态质量系数计算模型以及县级海域生态环境质量综合评价模型,定义了县级海域生态环境质量评价流程。以普陀区海域为例,对县级海域生态环境质量进行综合评价,并针对关键问题和主要影响因素,提出实而可行的合理化建议,以及改善县级海域生态环境质量的长效机制。     

海南岛东南浅海表层沉积物粒度特征及沉积环境

对海南岛东南浅海377组表层沉积物样品（平均水深112.3 m）开展粒度测定及沉积物类型划分,并运用统计规律及沉积输运趋势分析,探讨了底质沉积物分布格局与物质来源及沉积动力环境关系。结果表明,海南岛东南浅海沉积物类型复杂,共分布13种沉积物类型,粒度组成以粉砂和砂为主,平均粒径均值为5.73Φ,优势粒级为细粉砂级（6～8Φ）,分选差。不同海域沉积物粒径差异明显,北部近岸以含砾沉积为主,中部呈NE-SW向的砂质沉积区（水深80～120 m）,西南近岸滨海、北中部海域以及东南部海域多为粉砂、黏土沉积。结合地理位置、沉积物源及水动力条件差异,研究区划分为3个沉积区：I区主要以含砾粗颗粒沉积为主,受控于海南岛上径流及强风浪作用,物质来源以万泉河等河流输运及岸线侵蚀物质为主,强动力(高能)沉积环境;II区以砂沉积为主,受到表层流及风浪等共同影响,可能主要是残留滨海沉积混入了海南岛径流及岸线侵蚀、少量珠江流域及外海复杂来源等现代细粒物质的混合沉积,中等动力沉积环境;III区以细粒沉积为主,主要受华南近岸流、风浪作用及南海暖流影响,推测物质来源主要为海南岛河流输入、岸线侵蚀及复杂外海来源细粒物质的加入,弱动力（低能）沉积环境。     

基于熵值-突变级数法的环渤海地区海洋生态环境承载力评价及障碍因子诊断

随着对海洋开发力度的不断加大,海洋生态环境问题日益突出,已成为中国海洋可持续发展的制约因素。作为衡量海洋可持续发展的主要手段之一,海洋生态环境承载力的定量化评价是必不可少的重要环节。针对海洋生态环境承载力的突变特性,基于熵值-突变级数法,从压力和承压两方面构建海洋生态环境承载力评价指标体系,结合障碍因子诊断模型,考量环渤海地区4个省市2006-2014年的海洋生态环境承载力的空间差异和时序特征,剖析影响承载力发展水平的主要障碍因子。研究表明:环渤海地区2006-2014年海洋生态环境承载能力整体较差,承载力水平呈下降趋势;2014年海洋生态环境承载强度分为两类,山东和天津为较弱承载力水平,河北和辽宁为弱承载力水平;生态弹性小、环境污染重、生态资源匮乏已成为制约环渤海海洋生态环境承载力发展水平的普遍问题。     

渤海湾西岸全新世以来沉积物地球化学与黏土矿物特征及其对环境和气候的响应

通过对渤海湾西岸BXZK11孔沉积物黏土矿物、地球化学元素组分、粒度分析以及AMS14C年代测定并与研究区周边6个具有较好年龄控制的钻孔剖面对比,结合黏土矿物蒙脱石/(伊利石+绿泥石)比值以及元素Al/Si和Al/Na比值对气候变化的响应,探讨了渤海湾西岸地区全新世以来沉积环境以及气候变化过程.结果表明,末次盛冰期到8...     

Ecosystem-based marine spatial management: Review of concepts, policies, tools, and critical issues

Conventional sectoral management and piecemeal governance are considered less and less appropriate in pursuit of sustainable development. Ecosystem based marine spatial management (EB-MSM) is an approach that recognizes the full array of interactions within an ecosystem, including human uses, rather than considering single issues, species, or ecosystem services in isolation. Marine spatial planning and ocean zoning are emerging concepts that can support EB-MSM. EB-MSM is driven by high-level goals that managers aim to achieve through the implementation of measures. High-level goals and objectives need to be translated into more operational objectives before specific targets, limits and measures can be elaborated.Monitoring, evaluation and adaptation are necessary to ensure that marine management measures are both effective and efficient. Solid monitoring frameworks are the foundation of adaptive management, as they provide the necessary information to evaluate performance and the effectiveness of management actions. Marine protected areas (MPAs) - possibly set up in networks - constitute a key component in EB-MSM policies and practises and have been applied as a cornerstone in conservation of marine biodiversity, management of fish populations, development of coastal tourism, etc. Moreover, MPA experiences have provided methods and concepts (such as zoning) to a wider EB-MSM context. The assignment of values to biophysical features of the marine environment allows the direct assessment of related management choices and may assist EB-MSM.A range of monetary valuation techniques have been proposed to reduce attributes of goods and services to a single metric. However, in the marine environment such an approach is often over simplistic, and thus less reductive techniques may be necessary. Rather than producing a single metric, the results of non-monetary assessments guide policy allowing weight to be given as necessary to potential areas of conflict and consensus.Strategies to take into account climate change effects and geohazard risks in EB-MSM have been applied or proposed worldwide. EB-MSM regimes must be alert to such risks and flexible to account for changes.