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Ensuring the law’s ability to protect the environment is a major challenge. Nevertheless, the lack of adequate methodologies and tools is a hindrance to understanding “where, when and how” the law protects the oceans. Although the use of indicators in the analysis of complex phenomena is now widespread in many disciplines, it is an emerging approach in law, especially in environmental law. The methodology presented here operationalizes the use of indicators to measure the role of law in the protection of the oceans. Using the example of the application of this method to the analysis of plastic bag regulations in seven Atlantic countries, we demonstrate that this contribution of law to the development of digital humanities improves the readability of law outside of legal spheres, and deepens the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of current law in its ability to protect the oceans.