Legal Definitions - international seabed

The international seabed refers to the vast areas of the ocean floor, including the earth beneath it (subsoil), that are located outside the national jurisdiction of any country. This means no single nation has exclusive rights to explore or exploit its resources. Instead, it is considered the common heritage of humankind, governed by international law.

• Example 1: Deep-Sea Mineral Exploration

  A consortium of mining companies proposes to extract rare earth minerals from polymetallic nodules scattered across an abyssal plain in the central Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles from any national coastline. This area is far beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of any country.

  This scenario illustrates the international seabed because the proposed mining site, including the ocean floor and the subsoil containing the minerals, lies in an area not subject to the sovereign rights of any single nation. Therefore, any exploration or extraction activities would fall under international regulations overseen by bodies like the International Seabed Authority.

• Example 2: Scientific Research on Unique Ecosystems

  A team of marine biologists plans an expedition to study newly discovered species living around hydrothermal vents located deep in the Southern Ocean, far from the continental shelf of any coastal state. Their research involves collecting samples from the ocean floor and the immediate subsoil around these vents.

  Here, the location of the hydrothermal vents and the surrounding ocean floor, being outside the territorial limits and exclusive economic zones of any nation, constitutes part of the international seabed. The scientific exploration of these unique ecosystems is therefore conducted in an area considered the common heritage of humanity.

• Example 3: Laying Transcontinental Communication Cables

  A global telecommunications company plans to install a new fiber optic cable connecting Asia and South America. A significant portion of the cable's route will traverse the deep ocean floor in the middle of the Indian Ocean, passing through areas not claimed by any country's sovereign rights.

  The sections of the ocean floor where this cable is laid, which are situated beyond the territorial waters and exclusive economic zones of any nation, fall under the definition of the international seabed. While the cable itself is private property, its placement on this specific part of the ocean floor is subject to international agreements governing the use of the common heritage area.