Innovations in remote sampling and observation during the last two decades have demonstrated that areas beyond national jurisdictions (ABNJ), the water column and deep seabed beyond the outer limits of sovereign states' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), are a marine wonderland of complex ecosystems. The value of biodiversity located in the ABNJ is well documented, as are the regulatory and governance gaps which perpetuate biodiversity loss. International consensus on the need to address deficiencies in the legal framework took the form of a UNGA resolution to advance the regulation of biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions. The final iteration of the BBNJ Agreement text was recently confirmed by delegates at the fifth Intergovernmental Conference in March 2023, a moment Conference President Rena Lee characterized as the point which 'the ship has reached the shore'.

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However, between the shoreline and dock the voyage is far from complete. This thesis suggests that for the BBNJ Agreement to succeed where marine biodiversity conservation has hitherto failed, it must address the underlying causes of marine biodiversity loss rather than merely mitigate its negative effects. Thus, the research will explore how the weaknesses of the regulatory framework are shaped and driven by an anthropocentric rationale, and whether the BBNJ Agreement - particularly its provisions for MPAs - presents an opportunity to shift towards a more ecocentric paradigm.