Roughly two-thirds of the world’s oceans lie beyond national boundaries in an area known as the “high seas” — yet only about 1 percent of that vast and largely unexplored expanse has been protected. Now, after two decades of planning, intense negotiations and a final 36-hour marathon session, nearly 200 countries have agreed on the first-ever United Nations treaty to protect the high seas. Ashleigh McGovern, who co-leads Conservation International’s Center for Oceans, explains why this treaty co