A Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) is an area that needs special protection through actions by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) because of its significance for recognized ecological, socio-economic, or scientific attributes where such attributes may be vulnerable to damage by international shipping activities. IMO is the only international body responsible for assessing proposals for the designation of areas as PSSAs and the adoption of measures applicable to international shipping. When a PSSA is duly designated, the associated protective measures will be applicable to specified ships in that area aimed at preventing, reducing or eliminating the threat and protecting recognized vulnerability. Associated protective measures for PSSAs are limited to actions that are to be, or have been, approved and adopted by IMO, including the designation of an area as a Special Area or Emission Control Area under MARPOL, the adoption of ships’ routeing and reporting systems under SOLAS, or other measures that have an identified legal basis.

A PSSA can be located within and beyond the limits of the territorial sea, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This presentation discusses the potential designation of PSSAs in two ecologically sensitive marine areas that are mainly located on the high seas, namely the Costa Rica Thermal Dome, located off the western coast of Central America and the Sargasso Sea, a region of the Atlantic Ocean located off the east coast of North America. In order to be identified and designated as a PSSA that is protected by the associated protective measures, both proposals must demonstrated three integral components: the particular attributes of the proposed area, the vulnerability of such an area to damage by international shipping activities, and the availability of associated protective measures within the competence of IMO to prevent, reduce, or eliminate risks from these shipping activities. The potential designation of PSSAs for these two areas will also raise the question of how these mechanisms developed under the auspice of the IMO could be coordinated with the area based management tools to be established under the BBNJ Agreement.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER Dr. Zhen Sun is an Associate Professor (Research/Ocean Sustainability, Governance & Management) at the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden. Her main research interests include law of the sea, international regulation of shipping, gender equality in ocean governance, climate actions and the protection of the marine environment. At WMU, Zhen plays an active role in the launch and execution of a number of multidisciplinary research programmes and contributes to teaching and supervision of postgraduate students. Prior to joining WMU, Zhen was a Research Fellow at the Centre for International Law (CIL), National University of Singapore.