The Ross Sea, Antarctica: A highly protected MPA in international waters

Abstract As the first large-scale (>150,000 km2) marine protected area (MPA) on the high seas, the Ross Sea region MPA sets a precedent for other MPAs in areas beyond national jurisdiction. In the myriad of MPA guides and rankings (including the new “MPA Guide”), categorization and evaluation of the Ross Sea region MPA also sets precedent for categorizing and evaluating future protected areas on the high seas. Here, we provide clarity on the governance of the Ross Sea region MPA, and evaluate the status of its General Protection Zone (comprising ~80% of the MPA) with respect to level of protection. We outline the extensive restrictions and science-based management in place within the Ross Sea region MPA General Protection Zone and support its status as highly protected. We further conclude that if an MPA as regulated as the Ross Sea region MPA, especially its General Protection Zone, cannot meet the threshold of a “highly protected” MPA, it may prove difficult for other high seas MPA to be categorized as such.