What Is Ocean Governance?

“Ocean governance” sounds boring, but it’s actually incredibly important for anyone who enjoys seafood, marine life, and all of the riches of a healthy ocean. Two-thirds of the world’s oceans are beyond any one country’s territory. These waters are called the high seas, and because they belong to no single nation, they belong to the whole world. That means countries must come together to take care of them—and address issues such as illegal fishing, overfishing, and drilling.

Cartoonist Jim Toomey—whose daily comic strip, Sherman’s Lagoon, is syndicated in more than 250 newspapers in the United States—joined forces with The Pew Charitable Trusts to illustrate “ocean governance” and other terms we associate with our oceans.

Watch the full ocean terms video series.