The "High Seas" represent the vast, international waters that lie beyond any nation's 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) . Often called the "global commons," this area covers roughly and nearly half of the Earth's surface .
Despite their distance from land, the high seas are vital to human survival and are currently entering a new era of legal protection.
The high seas are not just empty water; they are the largest reservoir of biodiversity on Earth and provide critical ecosystem services: Protecting Ocean Life on the High Seas