ABSTRACT
The application of policy has been an iterative process, predominantly evolving through trial and error and periodic refinements over time. Improvements to marine management are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, borrow extensively from experiences in terrestrial environments, and are inconsistently applied. If proven to be successful, they are often enshrined in domestic policy or international agreements. Prior to the 1970s, marine issues (e.g. oil spills, overfishing) were addressed on a sector-by-sector basis as problems arose. There was little incentive or political appetite to address anticipated future problems or find solutions that solved more than one issue. Furthermore, the LOSC and other marine conventions that committed states to develop integrated approaches to address socioeconomic and environmental marine issues were not completed until the final two decades of the twentieth century.
