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Chilean Salmon

Aquaculture

Coastal Pollution in Hawaii

Gulf of Aqaba

Ocean Governance

Ocean Fish Farms

Pacific Ocean Initiative

Heat-Tolerant
Coral Reefs

Because the ocean is common property, regulating its use faces numerous challenges. Some experts have argued for ocean zoning, which would divide the ocean into different areas-for example, a commercial fishing zone, a recreation zone, and an oil and gas zone. Debates over the pros and cons of ocean zoning often center on the biology of ocean species, the geography of fishing-use patterns, and the need for preventing conflicts among competing users.

Photo: Mark Shwartz

In a paper published in the Bulletin of Marine Science, Woods Institute Senior Fellows Steve Palumbi and Buzz Thompson expand this discussion to the social and legal aspects of ocean zoning, focusing on comprehensive planning, segregation of activities into use-priority areas, and the allocation of user rights within each zone.

The inclusion of these features within an ocean-zoning regime can be a catalyst for a variety of ancillary benefits that will lead to improved conflict resolution, efficiency of use, and ecosystem stability—critical components for the production of ecosystem services and maintenance of biological and human economic benefits, the authors write.

Palumbi is a professor of biology and director of Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station. Thompson is a professor of law and co-director of the Woods Institute for the Environment.

The paper is co-authored by James Sanchirico, associate professor of environmental science and policy at the University of California-Davis, and Josh Eagle, associate professor of law at the University of South Carolina.

"Comprehensive Planning, Dominant-Use Zones, and User Rights: A New Era in Ocean Governance," Bulletin of Marine Science, 2010"