This paper was produced in the frame of the Horizon Europe EU-funded project BIOcean5D [1], by a team of researchers from different disciplines, to contribute towards a holistic and functional approach of marine biodiversity conservation tools. With the recent and ongoing progress of marine sciences, including genomics, digital imaging, remote sensing devices and bioinformatics, it is crucial to bring these developments to the policy arena, in a format decisionmakers can effectively use as tools to assess priorities for regions needing monitoring and protection. Embracing a large panoply of interdisciplinary tools, this Policy Brief paper leverages social sciences and international law knowledge to propose innovative protection directions, based on deep conceptual changes, to support realistic, fair and equitable approaches.