By John Cannon The announcement came early on the morning of Oct. 31. Delegates to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity summit (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, had finally agreed on a protocol for identifying for protection unique parts of the high seas, the two-thirds of the world’s oceans that are international waters. The late-conference acceptance of this science-based process for pinpointing ecologically or biologically significant marine areas, or EBSAs, in the high seas provides a pathway to create marine protected areas (MPAs) in international waters. Observers say it’s inte…