Marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) encompass nearly two-thirds of the ocean's surface but receive insufficient conservation attention, despite increasing anthropogenic pressures. The recent BBNJ Agreement establishes a governance framework for marine protected areas (MPAs) in ABNJ, requiring a thorough analysis of human activities, their impact, and the state of the ecosystem. To address these requirements, this study scopes an Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) of the Thermal Dome in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, a dynamic transboundary offshore upwelling system. The DAPSIR framework’s core components (activities, pressures, and state changes) were operationalised with a linkage framework, followed by a risk assessment and a gap analysis. The semi-qualitative assessment revealed that fishing posed the greatest threat, followed by shipping. The five major pressures identified were incidental physical harm to species, bycatch, targeted species extraction, marine litter and anthropogenic noise. Epipelagic fish, elasmobranchs, whales, and dolphins were the ecosystem state components most adversely affected. Conservation priorities and knowledge gaps were identified, providing a valuable baseline for BBNJ MPA proposals and subsequent IEA steps. The Study emphasises the need for effective monitoring strategies in data-poor environments and sector-specific assessments of fishing and shipping. The study's approach demonstrates potential for standardised application in ABNJ.
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