oceaanregio

oceaanregio (Dutch for ocean region) is a term used in marine science and policy to describe a large-scale ocean region. It denotes an area of the ocean defined for research, monitoring, or planning rather than a fixed political boundary. The exact borders of an oceaanregio vary by organization and purpose and may align with ocean basins, biogeographic provinces, or particular oceanographic features such as currents, fronts, or bathymetry.

In national and international contexts, activity within oceaanregio is constrained by relevant laws, including UNCLOS and regional agreements. While coastlines regulate rights within exclusive economic zones, the concept serves as a framework for coordinating data collection, assessments, and policy across bordering states.

The oceaanregio concept supports marine spatial planning, climate research, biodiversity assessments, fisheries management, and offshore energy planning. It provides a common frame for comparing environmental conditions, ecosystem health, and resource use across different parts of the world’s oceans.

Realizing a consistent oceaanregio requires integrating satellite observations, autonomous observing systems, ships, and modeling outputs. Challenges include non-uniform data coverage, changing boundaries as science evolves, cross-border governance, and threats such as climate change, pollution, invasive species, and overfishing.