50. Marine Scientific Research

Though not necessarily the case, there is increasing recognition that some marine scientific research activities may have adverse effects on the environment. This chapter examines recent developments in regulatory and management measures aimed at the environmentally sustainable conduct of marine scientific research. It begins by laying out the central management challenge of this emerging issue, which entails striking an appropriate balance between the promotion of marine scientific research to advance understanding of the marine environment and minimising environmental impacts of research in light of uncertainties. The next section provides an overview of the legal framework laid down in Parts XIII and XII of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which govern marine scientific research and protection and preservation of the marine environment respectively. It then describes progressive developments in law and policy, outlining sources of emerging norms and standards and analysing the content and scope of principles and best practices that are taking hold in this area. Finally, it analyses the effectiveness of current measures and points out some next steps for developments in this field.