Over the past two decades, countries have worked through a global process under the CBD to describe areas of ecological or biological importance in the world’s ocean. Today, the resulting 338 ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs) contains detailed scientific information on ecosystems ranging from coastal seagrass beds to deep-sea hydrothermal vents, offering a uniquely valuable resource of knowledge for the management and sustainable use of marine ecosystems, including in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The EBSA portfolio includes 38 sites lying wholly in area beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), and a further 42 sites lying partially in ABNJ. Many of these areas have already informed management efforts under various international processes, such as under Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, and many are being discussed in the context of the BBNJ Agreement, in particular Part III of the Agreement on area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas (MPAs).

With a high level of compatibility between the EBSA criteria and the BBNJ Annex I indicative criteria, EBSAs provide rich ground for initial scanning for sites with potential for protection and management under BBNJ. However, many EBSAs were described 10 or more years ago and need updating with newly available data, in line with the new EBSA modalities agreed at CBD COP16 (Decision 16/16). In addition, new scientific information may reveal some important areas and features in ABNJ that meet the EBSA criteria but have not yet been described as such. New data sources – such as those gathered under the various taxa-specific important area initiatives, innovative modelling approaches and methodologies harnessing AI – can support, update and enhance the EBSA knowledge base.

This side event will explore the opportunities for EBSAs to inform protection and management in ABNJ, examine the gaps that remain in the portfolio with respect to ABNJ and identify the steps necessary to address them so that the work on EBSAs can continue to be an important source of information to inform management long into the future. Examples will illustrate how EBSAs are forming the basis for efforts under the new BBNJ Agreement.

The event will comprise a series of short presentations by expert speakers, followed by a panel discussion involving stakeholders from countries, NGOs, IGOs and competent authorities.