Abstract
This internship thesis first explores what falls within the purview of a strait and determines the range of its scope. It examines how straits, the right of free passage, and marine pollution are influenced by various international agreements, focusing on the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1973/1978 International Convention on the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). This internship thesis then studies the issues attendant to coastal state regulation of marine pollution in international straits by examining the tensions between UNCLOS and MARPOL. It concludes by arguing for various policy measures that would eliminate the ambiguities and contradictions within these international agreements and suggests other ways in which marine pollution might be regulated.