Fifty Years of the London Convention and Protocol: A Scientometric Review and Marine Environmental Governance Perspective

Man-Deok Seo; Hye-won Jang; Chang-Joon Kim

doi:10.4217/OPR.2025016

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2025 Vol.47 Preview Page Next Page

Article

Fifty Years of the London Convention and Protocol: A Scientometric Review and Marine Environmental Governance Perspective

10 November 2025. pp. 1-15

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Abstract

Ocean-dumping research has been fragmented, with bibliometric reviews confined to single waste categories such as plastic litter and structural analyses encompassing broader ocean dumping issues relatively lacking. Therefore, we present a comprehensive scientometric assessment of 865 articles published between 1953 and 2024 and indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate) that address ocean dumping within the governance framework of the London Convention and Protocol (LC/LP). Publication output, national and institutional productivity, co-authorship networks, and keyword co-occurrence patterns were analyzed to trace the thematic evolution, international collaboration, and the coupling of these factors with regulatory milestones. The findings revealed that scholarly output surged after each key LC/LP milestone, namely, the 1996 Protocol, 2006 carbon capture and storage (CCS) decision, and 2013 geoengineering amendment, and showed that every new domain (CCS and geoengineering) swiftly developed its own research cluster. Five dominant thematic clusters emerged: (i) pollutants in sediments; (ii) international conventions and regulatory policies; (iii) carbon capture and marine geoengineering; (iv) toxicity and ecological effects; and (v) hazardous military waste. Although output is dominated by developed nations (especially the United States and the United Kingdom), contributions are increasing from East Asia but remain underrepresented from equatorial and least-developed regions. Building on these results, we outline a concise indicator suite that includes research intensity, thematic diversity, and policy-coupling indices to support future LC/LP performance reviews. This evidence base highlights where scientific capacity and cross-domain integration should be strengthened, thereby informing more inclusive and adaptive marine-environment governance.

Keywords

ocean dumping

london convention

london protocol

scientometrics

marine governance

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Information

Publisher :Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology
Publisher(Ko) :한국해양과학기술원
Journal Title :Ocean and Polar Research
Journal Title(Ko) :Ocean and Polar Research
Volume : 47
Pages :1-15
Received Date : 2025-08-29
Revised Date : 2025-10-13
Accepted Date : 2025-10-14
Published Date : 2025-11-10
DOI :https://doi.org/10.4217/OPR.2025016

Ocean and Polar Research ISSN:2234-7313(Online) Ocean and Polar Research

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