21 AoA regions

The regional framework of the Assessment of Assessments has been developed so that it builds on existing assessments. In practice, this implies a regional approach, since the large majority of existing assessments of the marine environment at international levels have been designed on a regional basis. At the same time supra-regional aspects (such as marine living species with ranges covering several regions) should not be ignored.

The regional divisions of the AoA are established for the purpose of facility the work of the GoE. It does not represent the final estructure of the Regular Process.

The 2004 Group of Experts recommended that:

Based on the recommendations of the International Workshop on the regular process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment (New York 7-11 June 2004), the AoA regions are defined based on:

a. Existing regional mechanisms (e.g., regional seas organizations, regional fisheries organizations, Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) programmes) that have permanent, government-recognised structures.

b. An ecologically sensible delineation conducive to an ecosystem approach, for example LME or groupings of linked LMEs.

c. Ready accommodation of past or existing monitoring and assessment programmes.

d. An administratively manageable number of regional units.

e. The need to ensure coverage of areas within and beyond national jurisdiction, including all ocean basins.

The total number of regional units in the AoA involves a trade-off between cost and complexity versus level of detail and specificity on the other.

The spatial framework developed for the Assessment of Assessments is based upon both bio-geographic factors and administrative structures. It however excludes the three land-locked seas (the Aral Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Dead Sea). There is no need, at this stage, to settle precise boundaries between the AoA Regions. It is sufficient to adopt a general framework of AoA regions, and to relate the existing assessments identified for consideration in the Assessment of Assessments to those regions

The delineation of the 21 regions agreed by the Group of Experts

No AoA Regions Related Large Marine Ecosystems(GIWA assessment for those marked *)
01 Antarctic Ocean Antarctica
02 Arctic Ocean Arctic Ocean, Beaufort Sea, Hudson Bay, West Greenland Shelf*, East Greenland Shelf*, Iceland Shelf, Faeroe Plateau*, Norwegian Shelf, Barents Sea*, Kara Sea*, Laptev Sea*, East Siberian Sea*, Chuckchi Sea*, West Bering Sea*, East Bering Sea
03 Baltic Sea Baltic Sea*
04 Black Sea Black Sea*
05 East Asian Seas Gulf of Thailand, South China Sea*, Sulu-Celebes Sea*, Indonesian Sea*, Yellow Sea*, East China Sea
06 Eastern African Seas Agulhas Current, Somali Coastal Current
07 Mediterranean Mediterranean Sea
08 North Central Pacific Ocean Insular-Pacific Hawaiian(GIWA assessment of Eastern Equatorial Pacific)
09 North-East Atlantic Ocean Iberian Coastal, Celtic-Biscay Shelf, North Sea
10 North-East Pacific Ocean Pacific-Central American Coastal, Gulf of California*, California Current, Gulf of Alaska
11 North-West Atlantic Ocean Northeast US Continental Shelf, Scotian Shelf, Newfoundland-Labrador Shelf,
12 North-West Pacific Ocean Kuroshio Current*, Sea of Japan[1], Oyashio Current*, Sea of Okhotsk*
13 Red Sea & Gulf of Aden Red Sea
14 ROPME/RECOFI Area Arabian Sea (part)
15 South Asian Seas Arabian Sea, Gulf of Bengal(GIWA assessment of Indian Ocean Islands)
16 South-East Pacific Ocean Humboldt Current*
17 Southern Indian Ocean North Australian Shelf, North-West Australian Shelf,West-Central Australian Shelf, Southwest Australian Shelf
18 Southern Pacific Ocean North-East Australian Shelf and Great Barrier Reef, East-Central Australian Shelf, Southeast Australian Shelf, New Zealand Shelf (GIWA assessment of Pacific Islands) 
19 South-West Atlantic Ocean Patagonian Shelf*, South Brazil Shelf, East Brazil Shelf, North Brazil Shelf (GIWA assessment of Brazil Current)
20 Western African Seas Canary Current*, Guinea Current*, Benguela Current*
21 Wider Caribbean Sea Caribbean Sea*

[1] This body of water has been referred to by the name Sea of Japan in relation to the academic studies of Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs), and is therefore included in the list of LMEs under that name.  The body of water is also referred to as the East Sea. However, there is no international agreement on the correct name the UN Cartographic Section employs the term Sea of Japan.