The Law of the Sea is an up to date and comprehensive treatment of its subject. It begins by tracing the historical origins of the law of the sea and discussing its sources, notably the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This is followed by chapters examining the various maritime zones, namely internal waters, the territorial sea, archipelagic waters, the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, the exclusive economic zone, the high seas and the international seabed area. In each case the legal nature of the zone and the way that it is delineated are analysed. The later part of the book discusses how international law regulates the safety of navigation, fisheries and scientific research and provides for protection of the marine environment from pollution and biodiversity loss.