During the past decade, many coastal States have been delineating the limits of their maritime zones. This process is defining the exact extent of the sovereignty or jurisdiction of coastal States over the seas and the oceans. The process paves the way for the application of a legal order, which will facilitate international communication, and will promote the peaceful use of the seas and oceans, the equitable and efficient utilization of their resources, the conservation of marine life, and the study, protection and preservation of the marine environment.

Tags: Antarctica conservation marine environment oceans