U.S. added over one million square kilometers to its territory

America just got a whole lot bigger. The United States has successfully claimed an additional one million square kilometers beneath the ocean, expanding its extended continental shelf boundaries.

Yes, it’s like America just bought a new basement, one that is almost 60% the size of Alaska.

Mead Treadwell, former lieutenant governor of Alaska and chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, helps us understand the situation.

“America is larger than it was yesterday. It’s not quite the Louisiana Purchase. It’s not quite the purchase of Alaska, but the new area of land and subsurface resources under the land controlled by the United States is two Californias larger,” Treadwell explained.

Understanding Extended Continental Shelf (ECS)

What’s this all about? Well, imagine the ocean as a multi-story building, with each country owning specific floors extending out from their shoreline.

Typically, a country’s rights stop after 200 nautical miles, around the fifth floor. But, the Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) is the rights to the underground parking lot.

Under this framework, coastal states can claim an ECS up to 350 nautical miles from their baseline or 100 nautical miles from the 2,500-meter isobath, which is a line connecting depths of 2,500 meters.

Key Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) provisions

• Article 76 of UNCLOS: This rule lays out the guidelines for extending the continental shelf beyond the usual 200 nautical miles from a coastal state’s baseline. It details the key steps and things to consider when determining the outer boundaries of the continental shelf. These include factors like the land’s natural extension and the depth of the sea floor.

• Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS): The CLCS is crucial for reviewing submissions from coastal states about their continental shelf’s outer boundaries. Made up of experts in geology, hydrography, and oceanography, the CLCS ensures that the submissions are based on solid science and align with international law.

Process of claiming an Extended Continental Shelf (ECS)

Claiming an ECS is a detailed process that requires some careful planning and solid evidence. Coastal states looking to assert their rights need to provide thorough geological and hydrographic proof to the CLCS to back up their claims.

• Data Collection: Coastal states conduct in-depth seabed surveys using advanced tech and techniques to gather geophysical and hydrographic data. This can include seismic surveys, sediment sampling, and underwater terrain mapping.

• Preparation of Submission: After collecting the necessary data, coastal states review the information and prepare a detailed submission, including maps, scientific reports, and other supporting documents to strengthen their claim.

• Evaluation by CLCS: Once the submission is in, the CLCS goes through a thorough review, checking the scientific validity of the data and methods used. They offer recommendations based on their assessment. While these recommendations aren’t legally binding, they carry a lot of weight when/if a dispute arises, as they represent expert consensus on the matter.

Twenty years of hard work

The U.S. began its quest for an ECS back in 2003. This effort, which required teamwork between the U.S. State Department, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), was no easy task.

It took them twenty years and involved a massive data collection initiative, but it paid off, big time. On December 19, 2023, the State Department announced new geographical coordinates of the U.S. ECS, adding massive chunks of territory in the Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific, and more.

The United States and UNCLOS

The relationship between the United States and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is complicated, to say the least.

While UNCLOS is often referred to as the “Constitution for the Oceans,” governing everything from maritime boundaries to resource rights and environmental standards, the U.S. has never actually ratified the treaty, even though it played a significant role in drafting it back in the 1970s and 1980s.

There are worries about issues like sovereignty, naval operations, and financial commitments that have created some major roadblocks.

Some senators fear that joining the treaty would mean giving up U.S. rights to the International Seabed Authority and could restrict access for U.S. companies to underwater resources.

On the flip side, military leaders, especially from the U.S. Navy, are all for ratification, arguing that it would help the U.S. tackle excessive maritime claims by other countries and secure navigational freedoms.

Supporters of ratifying UNCLOS believe that joining would boost U.S. influence in shaping global maritime rules and give legal certainty for U.S. claims, especially regarding the Extended Continental Shelf (ECS).

Even though the U.S. isn’t a formal party, it already follows many of the convention’s rules, using its provisions to back up territorial claims and assert navigation rights in international waters, like the South China Sea.

Science of exploration

This ambitious venture wasn’t just about drawing lines on a map. It required a scientific odyssey of epic proportions.

The areas encompassed in this claim include the Arctic, the east coast Atlantic, the Bering Sea, the west coast Pacific, the Mariana Islands, and two regions in the Gulf of Mexico.

Brian Van Pay, Project Director for the State Department, explained further, saying, “Forty missions at sea, going to areas that we’ve never explored before, finding entire seamounts we didn’t even know existed.”

Scientists spent the equivalent of over three years charting new territory; using sonar mapping, geological sampling, and sediment layer analysis.

The outcome, as Van Pay notes, was a submission that aligns with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) — the legal framework for this claim.

Understanding UNCLOS

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), commonly known as the Law of the Sea Treaty, serves as a vital framework governing our planet’s oceans and seas.

Developed through the collaborative efforts of over 160 countries, UNCLOS provides essential legal guidelines for managing marine natural resources, protecting the environment, and defining maritime rights among nations.

UNCLOS was born in the 20th century, driven by the growing exploitation of marine resources and advancements in maritime technology that called for a cohesive set of international rules.

The convention emerged from three United Nations conferences dedicated to the Law of the Sea, with the first occurring in 1956.

However, it wasn’t until 1982 that this pivotal treaty was finalized, officially coming into force on November 16, 1994.

The debate over the United States ratification of UNCLOS is still ongoing, with many experts and leaders urging the U.S. to officially join the treaty to enhance its global standing.

However, without a clear agreement in the Senate, the U.S. finds itself in a tricky situation — acting according to a treaty it hasn’t signed while trying to balance its leadership role on the world stage with concerns about preserving its sovereignty and independence.

What exactly does this land grab mean?

The implications of this move are multifold. For starters, the U.S. now has the right to control and potentially exploit resources like oil, gas, and minerals in the expanded territory.

However, it doesn’t mean they can suddenly start fishing further off the coast or start patrolling the new water regions. It’s more like the U.S. government won the mineral rights to some underwater property.

The claim has been shaped carefully to avoid stepping on the toes of other nations, particularly Russia. But there might be a bit of an overlap with Canada, which may call for future diplomacy.

Despite the potential gains, challenges persist. The biggest one of these, as mentioned above, is the lack of a formal ratification of UNCLOS by the U.S. Senate. This gap could potentially limit the international legal weight of the claim.

Moreover, the claim’s validity is dependent on the robustness of the science backing it.

According to Treadwell, “If somebody came back and said, ‘Your science is bad,’ I think the United States would listen. But I don’t think science is bad. I think we’ve had very good science.”

Managing the Extended Continental Shelf

There’s more at stake than just economic gain. The move also widens the U.S.’s jurisdiction to enforce environmental regulations effectively and protect fragile marine ecosystems from unchecked exploitation.

However, balancing these ecological responsibilities with economic interests will prove to be a tricky task.

But, hey, isn’t that part of the thrill? As over 75 countries have already defined their ECS boundaries, it’s clear that the world is entering a new era of ocean governance.

So, will this new territory lead to a scramble for resources, or will it enhance cooperation in managing and protecting the world’s oceans?

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For now, America has made a bold move, and the rest of the world is watching.

One thing is for sure, though: how we navigate these waters will affect not only our economy but also the health of our oceans, the climate, and our future.

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