Major water bodies, such as the seas and the oceans, make up 70% of the earth’s surface. As such, life on the planet depends significantly on this important resource. Marine resources are economically and ecologically important to many countries in the world. As a result, international bodies have come up with laws to protect the marine environment in the world. Such laws are meant to regulate the exploitation of this resource (Frank, 2007).

The current paper revolves around the protection of the marine environment under international laws. Several issues are addressed to this end. They include, among others, an analysis of the degradation and preservation of the marine environment. Several laws touching on the exploitation and protection of this ecosystem are analyzed. Such laws include Pre-UNCED Customary Principles and the 1982 UN Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC).