The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations’ specialized agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of atmospheric and marine pollution from ships. Through a comprehensive body of international conventions, the IMO has developed numerous measures—both recommendatory and mandatory—that can be used to help protect the marine environment from the negative effects of international shipping activities. These include area-based measures which the IMO can adopt to protect a geographic or place-based area in the oceans. These tools offer the benefit of international endorsement and awareness and are available to IMO Member States, including the United States, who are considering methods for protecting specific marine environments. The chart below provides a layout of general area-based management tools available to the United States as a member of the IMO when protecting its marine sanctuaries and other marine protected areas (MPAs)

Additional Reference Information:
NOAA GC International Section Memorandum, IMO Measures for Area-Based Protection (April 20, 2020)

Menu of Available IMO Measures