Ocean Acidification and Oceans Governance in the Anthropocene

Tim  Stephens (1)

1    Professor of International Law, ARC Future Fellow, Faculty of Law, University of Sydney, tim.stephens@sydney.edu.au

Climate change and its marine environmental impacts has been the subject of global regulatory attention since 1992  when the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted. By     contrast, ocean acidification, the  other, more recently identified CO2 problem, remains unaddressed in any global instrument.This is despite the profound challenge that acidification and    associated changes to ocean chemistry poses for the health of  ocean  ecosystems. This paper considers the regulatory options available at  national,  regional  and global scales to mitigate     and adapt in response to changing ocean chemistry. Particular  attention is paid to the  role of  international fisheries regimes such  as the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine    Living Resources in anticipating and responding to ocean acidification.