The US territorial sea is a maritime zone, over which the United States exercises sovereignty. Each coastal State claims a territorial sea that extends seaward up to 12 nautical miles from its coastal baseline. As defined by maritime law, the coastal State exercises sovereignty over its territorial sea, the air space above it, and the seabed and subsoil beneath it. The U.S. territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles from the coastal baseline. The zone is usually used in concert with several other Limits and Boundary Lines for Maritime purposes.Maritime limits for the United States are measured from the US baseline, which is recognized as the low-water line along the coast as marked on NOAA's nautical charts. The baseline and related maritime limits are reviewed and approved by the interagency US Baseline Committee. The Office of Coast Survey depicts on its nautical charts the territorial sea (12nm), contiguous zone (24nm), and exclusive economic zone (200nm, plus maritime boundaries with adjacent/opposite countries. US maritime limits are ambulatory and subject to revision based on accretion or erosion of the charted low water line. Dataset SummaryThis map service contains data from NOAA and BOEM sources that address USA Regional coastal areas and are designed to be used together within an ArcGIS.com web map. These include: World Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from NOAA Office of Coast SurveyContiguous Zone (CZ) from NOAA Office of Coast SurveyTerritorial Sea (TS) Boundary from NOAA Office of Coast SurveyRevenue Sharing Boundary [Section 8(g) of OCSLA Zone Boundary] from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)Submerged Land Act Boundaries (SLA) aka State Seaward Boundary (SSB)State Administrative Boundary from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)Continental Shelf Boundary (CSB) from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)Regional Maritime Planning Area Boundaries from NOAA Office of Coast SurveyInternational Provisional Maritime Boundary from NOAA (International Boundary Commission)The data for this layer were obtained from MarineCadastre.gov and is updated regularly.More information about U.S. Maritime Limits and BoundariesLink to source metadataWhat can you do with this layer?The features in this layer are used for areas and limits of coastal planning areas, or offshore planning areas, applied within ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Online. A depiction of the territorial sea boundaries helps disputing parties reach an agreement as in the case of one state's boundary overlapping with another state's territorial sea, in which case the border is taken as the median point between the states' baselines, unless the states in question agree otherwise. A state can also choose to claim a smaller territorial sea.Conflicts still occur whenever a coastal nation claims an entire gulf as its territorial waters while other nations only recognize the more restrictive definitions of the UN convention. Two recent conflicts occurred in the Gulf of Sidra where Libya has claimed the entire gulf as its territorial waters and the US has twice enforced freedom of navigation rights, in the 1981 and 1989 Gulf of Sidra incidents.This layer is a feature service, which means it can be used for visualization and analysis throughout the ArcGIS Platform. This layer is not editable.
(Version 4.1, 9/13/2013) Maritime limits for the United States are measured from the U.S. baseline, which is recognized as the low-water line along the coast as marked on the official U.S. nautical charts in accordance with the articles of the Law of the Sea. The baseline and related maritime limits are reviewed and approved by the interagency U.S. Baseline Committee. The primary purpose of this dataset is to update the official depiction of these maritime limits and boundaries on NOAA's nautical charts. The Office of Coast Survey depicts on its nautical charts the territorial sea (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24nm), and exclusive economic zone (200nm, plus maritime boundaries with adjacent/opposite countries). U.S. maritime limits are ambulatory and are subject to revision based on accretion or erosion of the charted low water line. For more information about U.S. Maritime Limits/Boundaries, and to download data, see: http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/mbound.htm For the full FGDC metadata record, see: http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/approved_recs/nos_de/ocs/ocs/ocs/MB_ParentDataset.html
The maritime limits and boundaries of the U.S., found in the A-16 National Geospatial Data Asset Portfolio, is recognized as the low-water line along the coast measured from the U.S. baseline. This is marked on official U.S. nautical charts in accordance with the articles of the Law of the Sea. The baseline and related maritime limits are reviewed and approved by the inter-agency U.S. Baseline Committee.The primary purpose of this data is to update the official depiction of these maritime limits and boundaries on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's nautical charts. The Office of Coast Survey depicts on its nautical charts the territorial sea (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24 nautical miles), and Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nautical miles, plus maritime boundaries with adjacent/opposite countries). U.S. maritime limits are ambulatory and are subject to revision based on accretion or erosion of the charted low-water line. For more information about U.S. maritime limits and boundaries and to download data, see U.S. Maritime Limits & Boundaries. For the full Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata record, see Maritime Limits and Boundaries of United States of America.Thumbnail source image courtesy of: David Restivo
description: NOAA is responsible for depicting on its nautical charts the limits of the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea, 24 nautical mile Contiguous Zone, and 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The outer limit of each of these zones is measured from the U.S. normal baseline, which coincides with the low water line depicted on NOAA charts and includes closing lines across the entrances of legal bays and rivers, consistent with international law. The U.S. baseline and associated maritime limits are reviewed and approved through the interagency U.S. Baseline Committee, which is chaired by the U.S. Department of State. The Committee serves the function of gaining interagency consensus on the proper location of the baseline using the provisions of the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, to ensure that the seaward extent of U.S. maritime zones do not exceed the breadth that is permitted by international law. In 2002 and in response to mounting requests for digital maritime zones, NOAA launched a project to re-evaluate the U.S. baseline in partnership with other federal agencies via the U.S. Baseline Committee. The focus of the baseline evaluation was NOAA's largest scale, most recent edition nautical charts as well as supplemental source materials for verification of certain charted features. This dataset is a result of the 2002-present initiative and reflects a multi-year iterative project whereby the baseline and associated maritime limits were re-evaluated on a state or regional basis. In addition to the U.S. maritime limits, the U.S. maritime boundaries with opposite or adjacent countries as well as the US/Canada International Boundary (on land and through the Great Lakes) are also included in this dataset.; abstract: NOAA is responsible for depicting on its nautical charts the limits of the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea, 24 nautical mile Contiguous Zone, and 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The outer limit of each of these zones is measured from the U.S. normal baseline, which coincides with the low water line depicted on NOAA charts and includes closing lines across the entrances of legal bays and rivers, consistent with international law. The U.S. baseline and associated maritime limits are reviewed and approved through the interagency U.S. Baseline Committee, which is chaired by the U.S. Department of State. The Committee serves the function of gaining interagency consensus on the proper location of the baseline using the provisions of the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, to ensure that the seaward extent of U.S. maritime zones do not exceed the breadth that is permitted by international law. In 2002 and in response to mounting requests for digital maritime zones, NOAA launched a project to re-evaluate the U.S. baseline in partnership with other federal agencies via the U.S. Baseline Committee. The focus of the baseline evaluation was NOAA's largest scale, most recent edition nautical charts as well as supplemental source materials for verification of certain charted features. This dataset is a result of the 2002-present initiative and reflects a multi-year iterative project whereby the baseline and associated maritime limits were re-evaluated on a state or regional basis. In addition to the U.S. maritime limits, the U.S. maritime boundaries with opposite or adjacent countries as well as the US/Canada International Boundary (on land and through the Great Lakes) are also included in this dataset.
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New Zealand Territorial SeasThe territorial sea is the belt of sea adjacent to the coast out to a distance of 12 nautical miles from prescribed baselines over which New Zealand, as the coastal state, has the same rights of sovereignty that it exercises over its land territory subject to the right of innocent passage (and transit passage through any straits used for international navigation) of ships of other states. 'Innocent passage' excludes fishing activities.The term Territorial Sea Baseline refers to the line from which the seaward limits of New Zealand's maritime zones are measured. The breadth of the territorial sea, the seaward limits of the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and, in some cases, the continental shelf, are measured from the Territorial Sea Baseline.References: Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, and Exclusive Economic Zone Act 1977 More information on the definition of Territorial Sea (12nm limit): Maritime boundary definitions | Marine information Guidance (linz.govt.nz)More information on the definition of Territorial Sea Baseline: Maritime boundary definitions | Marine information Guidance (linz.govt.nz)Downloaded from LINZ data service as of 25/07/2023
UK Territorial Sea LimitThe limits and boundaries of the UK, UK Overseas Territories and UK Crown Dependencies are available from this website in accordance with Articles 16, 74 and 84 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Limits are calculated from the normal baseline (the low water line on the largest UKHO charts) and limits are maintained by UKHO. Please note that these limits will only be updated annually.From https://www.admiralty.co.uk/ukho/About-Us
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The Maritime Zone Notification (M.Z.N. 143.2019.LOS) states that on 28 March 2019, Australia deposited with the Secretary -General, pursuant to article 16, paragraph 2, of the Convention, lists of geographical coordinates of points, concerning the baselines for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea, as contained in the Seas and Submerged Lands (Territorial Sea Baseline) Proclamation 2016.
The lists of geographical coordinates of points are referenced to the World Geodetic System (WGS 84)
https://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/mzn_s/MZN_143_2019%28RELEASED%29.pdf
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The territorial sea of Tonga comprises those areas of the sea having, as their inner limits, the baseline described in sections 5 and 6 of this Act and, as their outer limits, a line measured seaward from that baseline, every point of which line is distant 12 nautical miles from the nearest point of the baseline.
Baseline of territorial sea
https://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/TON_1989_Act.pdf
Tonga's 12 nautical mile zone was extracted from the Global Marine Regions platform (https://www.marineregions.org/) since they have not deposited formally with UNDOALOS.
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The Maritime Zones Act (MZA) 2018 for Cooks Islands repeals the Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act 1977, (Act No. 16 of 14 November 1977). It states that the territorial sea comprises of those areas of the sea; (a) having as their inner limits the breadth of the territorial baselines and is measured from the low-water mark along the coast of the Cook Islands or where there is coral reef along any part of the coast of the Cook Islands, the low-water mark along the outer edge of the coral reef. (b) as their outer limits, a line measured seaward form that baseline, every point of which is distant 12 nautical miles from the nearest point of the baseline.
The Maritime Zones (Territorial Sea Outer Limits) Regulations 2020, in accordance with MZA 2018, prescribes lines generated by reference to points with geographical coordinates which specifies the outer limits of the territorial sea. In this regulation, points defined by geographic coordinates are determined by reference to the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84). The regulation contains charts as a general illustration of the lines specified within it. The sovereignty of the Cook Islands extends to its territorial sea, airspace over it, the seabed and subsoil under them, and the resources contained in them.
https://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/Maritime%20Zones%20Act%202018.pdf https://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/01MaritimeZonesTSOLRegs2020.pdf
This layer is an overview of the maritime boundaries and limits. Symbology is rendered at larger scales.
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Maritime Limits Irish Territorial Sea. Published by Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. Available under the license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0).The territorial seas of the State is that portion of the sea which lies between the baseline and the outer limit of the territorial seas.
The outer limit of the territorial seas is the line every point of which is at a distance of 12 nautical miles from the nearest point of the baseline....
The term Territorial Sea Baseline refers to the line from which the seaward limits of New Zealand's maritime zones are measured. The breadth of the territorial sea, the seaward limits of the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and, in some cases, the continental shelf, are measured from the Territorial Sea Baseline.
For more information on Maritime Boundary Definitions see: http://www.linz.govt.nz/sea/nautical-information/maritime-boundaries/maritime-boundary-definitions
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The Real Map of Ireland represents Ireland's marine territory of over 220 million acres which is ten times the size of the island of Ireland. The currently designated Irish Continental Shelf, represented by the red line on the map. shows Ireland's current territorial waters which extends out across the North Atlantic Ocean and includes parts of the Irish and Celtic Seas. This area also includes one of the largest marine Exclusive Economic Zones in the European Union. The Continental Shelf of a coastal State comprises the seabed and subsoil of submarine areas that extend to 200 nautical miles from its territorial sea baselines or further if the natural prolongation of its land mass is beyond this. The coastal State exercises over the continental shelf sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring it and exploiting its natural resources. Where a margin extends beyond 200 nautical miles, a coastal state may extend its continental shelf limit, subject to the criteria set out in Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Real Map of Ireland released January 2008. The Real Map of Ireland vision produced to support the promotion of Ireland's marine resource. The Real Map of Ireland produced by the Marine Institute, Ireland's national agency for marine research, technological development and innovation.
This layer is sourced from maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov.
The ENC_Coastal map service displays ENC data within the scale range of 1:150,001 and 1:600,000. The ENC data will be updated weekly. This map service is not intended for navigation purpose.
Maritime limits for the United States are measured from the U.S. baseline, recognized as the low-water line along the coast as marked on NOAA's nautical charts in accordance with the articles of the Law of the Sea. The baseline and related maritime limits are reviewed and approved by the interagency U.S. Baseline Committee. The primary purpose of this dataset is to update the official depiction of these maritime limits and boundaries on NOAA's nautical charts. The Office of Coast Survey depicts on its nautical charts the territorial sea (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24nm), and exclusive economic zone (200nm, plus maritime boundaries with adjacent/opposite countries). U.S. maritime limits are ambulatory and subject to revision based on accretion or erosion of the charted low water line. To ensure you are up-to-date and for more information about U.S. Maritime Limits and Boundaries, see http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/mbound.htm.For the full FGDC metadata record, see http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/approved_recs/nos_de/ocs/ocs/ocs/MB_ParentDataset.html.Coordinates for the US/Canada international boundary, on land and through the Great Lakes, are managed by the International Boundary Commission. These boundaries are included with this dataset for continuity.
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Nauru's Territorial Sea Baseline was defined using the 1993 topographic map produce by Survey Graphics Pty Ltd of Perth, Western Australia, under the direction of the Ministry of Island Development and Industry. The map is based on UTM Grid Zone 58, which is referred to the World Geodetic System 1972 (WGS 72). The WGS 72 coordinate system was then converted to WGS 84 using transformation parameters tabled on Nauru Maritime Boundaries Technical Report (TR 399).
MapInfo and Marzone delimitation software was used to map the 86 basepoints which was the basis in delimiting outer limits of 12M, 24M and 200M.
Nauru's Territorial Sea Baseline is categorised as a normal baseline. Under the United National Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), normal baseline can be drawn around low tide elevation which are defined as naturally formed areas of land surrounded by and above water at low tide but submerged at high tide, provided they are wholly or partially within 12 nautical miles of the coast.
An exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is a sea zone prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea over which a sovereign state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind. This maritime boundary is designed to be used with other marine boundaries in order to help determine areas of trade, commerce and transportation. The 200 NM zone is measured country-by-country from the baseline maritime boundary (usually, but not in all cases, the mean low-water mark used is not the same thing as the coast line). For each country, we've obtained the official list of the baseline points from the United Nations under Maritime Space.The exclusive economic zone stretches much farther into sea than the territorial waters, which end at 12 NM (22 km) from the coastal baseline (if following the rules set out in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea). Thus, the EEZ includes the contiguous zone. States also have rights to the seabed of what is called the continental shelf up to 350 NM (648 km) from the coastal baseline, beyond the EEZ, but such areas are not part of their EEZ. The legal definition of the continental shelf does not directly correspond to the geological meaning of the term, as it also includes the continental rise and slope, and the entire seabed within the EEZ. The chart below diagrams the overlapping jurisdictions which are part of the EEZ. When the (EEZ) boundary is between countries which are separated by less than 200NM is settled by international tribunals at any arbitrary line. Many countries are still in the process of extending their EEZs beyond 200NM using criteria defined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Dataset Summary The data for this layer were obtained from https://www.marineregions.org/. Link to source metadata.Preferred Citation: VLIZ (2014). Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase, version 8. Available online at http://www.marineregions.org/. Consulted on 2015-03-28.These limits and boundaries were created for NOAA's internal purposes only to update the charted maritime limits and maritime boundaries on NOAA charts. These limits and boundaries do not represent the official depiction. For official depiction, please see NOAA's paper or raster nautical charts (Sourced from NOAA_Version 4.1, 9/10/2013). Also, this map service contains data from NOAA and BOEM sources and the VLIZ (2014) Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase, version 8. Available online at Marineregions.org. Consulted on 2014-12-02.What can you do with this layer?Within its EEZ, a coastal country has: (a) sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing natural resources, whether living or nonliving, of the seabed and subsoil and the superjacent waters and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents and winds; (b) jurisdiction as provided for in international law with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures, marine scientific research, and the protection and preservation of the marine environment, and (c) other rights and duties provided for under international law.The features in this layer can be used for showing areas and limits of sovereignty, revenue sharing, for siting a renewable energy project, for commerce routes, and for vessel transportation tracking within ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Online. An example application of the layers is listed below, from the Marine Cadastre site. If, by example, a renewable energy project is located within state waters, the rules of leasing for that particular state will apply (and therefore vary by state), and no revenues will go to the federal government.If any portion of the project location falls within the federal 8(g) zone, then 27 percent of the revenues collected by the federal government will be shared with those states whose coastlines are within 15 miles of the geographic center of the project area. If the shoreline of more than one state is within 15 miles of the geographic center of the project, all the states will share the revenue payments in proportion to the inverse distance of the nearest points of their respective coastlines to the geographic center of the project. See more on this topic at U.S.C. and C.F.R. If the location is entirely in federal waters seaward of the 8(g) zone, no collected revenues will go to the state(s).This layer is a feature service, which means it can be used for visualization and analysis throughout the ArcGIS Platform. This layer is not editable.
The primary purpose of this dataset is to update the official depiction of these maritime zones and maritime boundaries on NOAA's nautical charts. The limits of these zones are subject to modification, as represented on future charts. The limits shown on the most recent chart edition take precedence. NOAA is responsible for depicting on its nautical charts the limits of the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea, 24 nautical mile Contiguous Zone, and 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The outer limit of each of these zones is measured from the U.S. normal baseline, which coincides with the low water line depicted on NOAA charts and includes closing lines across the entrances of legal bays and rivers, consistent with international law. The U.S. baseline and associated maritime limits are reviewed and approved through the interagency U.S. Baseline Committee, which is chaired by the U.S. Department of State. The Committee serves the function of gaining interagency consensus on the proper location of the baseline using the provisions of the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, to ensure that the seaward extent of U.S. maritime zones do not exceed the breadth that is permitted by international law. In 2002 and in response to mounting requests for digital maritime zones, NOAA launched a project to re-evaluate the U.S. baseline in partnership with other federal agencies via the U.S. Baseline Committee. The focus of the baseline evaluation was NOAA's largest scale, most recent edition nautical charts as well as supplemental source materials for verification of certain charted features. This dataset is a result of the 2002-present initiative and reflects a multi-year iterative project whereby the baseline and associated maritime limits were re-evaluated on a state or regional basis. In addition to the U.S. maritime limits, the U.S. maritime boundaries with opposite or adjacent countries as well as the US/Canada International Boundary (on land and through the Great Lakes) are also included in this dataset.View Dataset on the Gateway
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(Version 4.0, 7/26/2013) Maritime limits for the United States are measured from the U.S. baseline, which is recognized as the low-water line along the coast as marked on the official U.S. nautical charts in accordance with the articles of the Law of the Sea. The baseline and related maritime limits are reviewed and approved by the interagency U.S. Baseline Committee. The primary purpose of this dataset is to update the official depiction of these maritime limits and boundaries on NOAA's nautical charts. The Office of Coast Survey depicts on its nautical charts the territorial sea (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24nm), and exclusive economic zone (200nm, plus maritime boundaries with adjacent/opposite countries). U.S. maritime limits are ambulatory and are subject to revision based on accretion or erosion of the charted low water line. For more information about U.S. Maritime Limits/Boundaries, and to download data, see: https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/us-maritime-limits-and-boundaries.html For the full FGDC metadata record, see: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39963
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In 1703 territorial waters were defined as extending out to three nautical miles of the coast - the distance that could be covered by a cannon shot. In 1958 the Geneva Convention introduced the concept of baselines from which all other measurements would begin. Baselines were to be smooth and parallel too, rather than following the detailed indentations of the coast. Baselines join headlands and may run to the low-water mark of islands. All waters - marine and transitional (estuarine) on the landward side of baselines - are part of the internal (inland) waters of the State. The territorial sea extends out to 12 nautical miles from the baselines. The Irish Republic territorial sea covers an area of 27,487 km squared. The area covered by internal waters is 13,650 km squared.
The US territorial sea is a maritime zone, over which the United States exercises sovereignty. Each coastal State claims a territorial sea that extends seaward up to 12 nautical miles from its coastal baseline. As defined by maritime law, the coastal State exercises sovereignty over its territorial sea, the air space above it, and the seabed and subsoil beneath it. The U.S. territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles from the coastal baseline. The zone is usually used in concert with several other Limits and Boundary Lines for Maritime purposes.Maritime limits for the United States are measured from the US baseline, which is recognized as the low-water line along the coast as marked on NOAA's nautical charts. The baseline and related maritime limits are reviewed and approved by the interagency US Baseline Committee. The Office of Coast Survey depicts on its nautical charts the territorial sea (12nm), contiguous zone (24nm), and exclusive economic zone (200nm, plus maritime boundaries with adjacent/opposite countries. US maritime limits are ambulatory and subject to revision based on accretion or erosion of the charted low water line. Dataset SummaryThis map service contains data from NOAA and BOEM sources that address USA Regional coastal areas and are designed to be used together within an ArcGIS.com web map. These include: World Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from NOAA Office of Coast SurveyContiguous Zone (CZ) from NOAA Office of Coast SurveyTerritorial Sea (TS) Boundary from NOAA Office of Coast SurveyRevenue Sharing Boundary [Section 8(g) of OCSLA Zone Boundary] from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)Submerged Land Act Boundaries (SLA) aka State Seaward Boundary (SSB)State Administrative Boundary from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)Continental Shelf Boundary (CSB) from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)Regional Maritime Planning Area Boundaries from NOAA Office of Coast SurveyInternational Provisional Maritime Boundary from NOAA (International Boundary Commission)The data for this layer were obtained from MarineCadastre.gov and is updated regularly.More information about U.S. Maritime Limits and BoundariesLink to source metadataWhat can you do with this layer?The features in this layer are used for areas and limits of coastal planning areas, or offshore planning areas, applied within ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Online. A depiction of the territorial sea boundaries helps disputing parties reach an agreement as in the case of one state's boundary overlapping with another state's territorial sea, in which case the border is taken as the median point between the states' baselines, unless the states in question agree otherwise. A state can also choose to claim a smaller territorial sea.Conflicts still occur whenever a coastal nation claims an entire gulf as its territorial waters while other nations only recognize the more restrictive definitions of the UN convention. Two recent conflicts occurred in the Gulf of Sidra where Libya has claimed the entire gulf as its territorial waters and the US has twice enforced freedom of navigation rights, in the 1981 and 1989 Gulf of Sidra incidents.This layer is a feature service, which means it can be used for visualization and analysis throughout the ArcGIS Platform. This layer is not editable.