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.

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

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.

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

This layer is an overview of the maritime boundaries and limits. Symbology is rendered at larger scales.

This GIS data set represents various maritime limits of the United States, in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Oceans. NOAA's Office of Coast Survey (OCS) is responsible for generating the 3 Nautical Mile Line, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Traditionally, these maritime limits have been generated by hand from the low water line depicted on paper, U.S. nautical charts. Upon final approval by the U.S. Baseline Committee, these legally-binding maritime limits are applied to the next edition of nautical charts produced by the Marine Chart Division of OCS.FWRI staff downloaded the available limits from NOAA's Web site: http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/csdl/mbound.htm . For other boundaries that were not available on NOAA's site, (Florida 9 mile Natural Resources line, Florida-Alabama State line, and Louisiana Inshore Territorial Sea boundary), FWRI staff heads up digitized these from Nautical Charts, DRG's, or obtained from other sources.

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.

Marine jurisdictions define the U.S. boundaries and limits for sovereignty, exclusive rights, and control over maritime areas off its coast. These limits are measured from the U.S. baseline, defined as the low-water line along the coast and marked on NOAA's nautical charts, in accordance with the Law of the Sea. The U.S. Baseline Committee reviews and approves the baseline and related maritime limits. NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey updates these limits and boundaries on nautical charts, including the territorial sea (12 nautical miles), contiguous zone (24 nautical miles), and exclusive economic zone (200 nautical miles), along with maritime boundaries with neighboring countries. U.S. maritime limits are subject to changes due to natural processes such as accretion or erosion.State Seaward Boundary: Defined by the Submerged Lands Act of 1953, this boundary extends 3 nautical miles (nmi) from the baseline, except for Texas, the Gulf coast of Florida, and Puerto Rico, where it extends 9 nmi. This boundary marks the extent of state jurisdiction.Revenue Sharing Boundary: Established by Section 8(g) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, this boundary extends 3 nmi beyond the State Seaward Boundary. Revenues from resources such as oil and gas in this area are shared between the federal government and the coastal state.Territorial Sea: Extended to 12 nmi from the U.S. baseline by Presidential Proclamation 5928 in 1988, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The U.S. exercises full sovereignty over this area, including the airspace above and the subsoil below.Contiguous Zone: Extending from 12 to 24 nmi from the U.S. baseline, this zone allows the U.S. to enforce laws related to customs, fiscal matters, immigration, and sanitation to prevent violations within its territory or territorial sea, in line with international law.Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Extending from 3 to 200 miles offshore (5 to 322 km), or 9 to 200 miles (14.5 to 322 km) offshore in western Florida and Texas, the EEZ grants the U.S. jurisdiction over economic activities and resource management, including the exploration, exploitation, conservation, and management of natural resources, in accordance with international law.Data and MetadataUS Marine LimitsUS Revenue SharingUS State SeawardOriginal Plate from 1985 Atlas: Political Boundaries and Maritime Zones (.pdf)This is a component of the Gulf Data Atlas (V1.0) for the Jurisdictions topic area.

description: Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, US/Canada International Boundary, Exclusive Economic Zone, and Maritime Boundaries of the United States.; abstract: NOT FOR LEGAL USE. These limits and boundaries were created for 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.U.S. Baseline Committee approved maritime limits and boundaries of the United StatesOverview12NM Territorial Sea24NM Contiguous Zone200NM EEZ and Maritime BoundariesUS/Canada Land Boundary

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management launched the Shoreline Change Project in 1989 to identify erosion-prone areas of the coast by compiling a database of historical (mid 1800's-1989) shoreline positions. Trends of shoreline position over long and short-term timescales provide information to landowners, managers, and potential buyers about possible future impacts to coastal resources and infrastructure. In 2001, a 1994 shoreline was added to calculate both long- and short-term shoreline change rates along ocean-facing sections of the Massachusetts coast. In 2013, two oceanfront shorelines for Massachusetts were added using 2008-2009 color aerial orthoimagery and 2007 topographic lidar datasets obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean Service (NOAA), Coastal Services Center. In 2018, two new mean high water (MHW) shorelines for the Massachusetts coast extracted from lidar data between 2010-2014 were added to the dataset. This 2021 data release includes rates that incorporate one new shoreline from lidar data extracted in 2018 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX), added to the existing database of all historical shorelines (1844-2014), for the North Shore, South Shore, Cape Cod Bay, Outer Cape, Buzzard’s Bay, South Cape, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. 2018 lidar data did not cover the Boston or Elizabeth Islands regions. Included in this data release is a proxy-datum bias reference line that accounts for the positional difference in a proxy shoreline (the High Water Line shoreline) and a datum shoreline (the Mean High Water shoreline). This issue is explained further in Ruggiero and List (2009) and in the process steps of the metadata associated with the rates. This release includes both long-term (~150+ years) and short term (~30 years) rates. Files associated with the long-term rates have “LT” in their names, files associated with short-term rates have "ST” in their names.

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.

These data show the geographic representation of Federal and State Waters for the purpose of display in the MarineCadastre.gov OceanReports application. The boundary between state and federal waters was determined by consulting The Submerged Lands Act (43 U.S.C. §§ 1301 et seq.), 48 U.S.C. §§ 1705 and The Abandoned Shipwreck Act (43 U.S.C. §§ 2101). Some boundary delineations based on the SLA were approximated in this data set, including areas in Hawaii, Alaska, and Washington State. Although state boarders do not extend over water, it was necessary to approximate these borders to produce this data set. The boundaries depicted in this data set are for visual purposes only. The placement of these boundaries was extrapolated from the Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Administrative Boundaries as described here http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/05-24659.pdf. The delineation between waters under US sovereign territory jurisdiction and that of federal governance is also approximate. Although based upon legislation, these data do not represent legal boundaries, especially in the case of Navassa Island, The Northern Mariana Islands, Baker Island, Howland Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, Wake Islands and Jarvis Island.The seaward limit of this data set is the boundary of the 200nm US Exclusive Economic Zone. The EEZ is measured from the US baseline, recognized as the low-water line along the coast as marked on NOAA's nautical charts in accordance with articles of the Laws of the Sea. These limits are ambulatory and subject to revision based on changes in coastline geometry. This dataset was produced based on an update to the Maritime Limits published in September, 2013. To view the most up-to-date Maritime Limits, please see http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/mbound.htm. Navassa Island does not have an EEZ around it, so the seaward extent of the federal waters surrounding it were based on the 12 mile offshore boundary of the USFWS National Wildlife Refuge established on the island. All data is displayed in WGS_1984_World_Mercator. Area calculations for all states except Alaska were completed in the same projection. Area calculations for Alaska were completed in Alaska Albers Equal Area Conic.

gsstein/50-baseline-dataset dataset hosted on Hugging Face and contributed by the HF Datasets community

This dataset includes a reference baseline used by the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) to calculate rate-of-change statistics for the sheltered north coast of Alaska coastal region between the U.S. Canadian Border to the Hulahula River for the time period 1947 to 2010. This baseline layer serves as the starting point for all transects cast by the DSAS application and can be used to establish measurement points used to calculate shoreline-change rates.

gsstein/50-baseline-dataset-llama dataset hosted on Hugging Face and contributed by the HF Datasets community

During Hurricane Irma in September 2017, Florida and Georgia experienced significant impacts to beaches, dunes, barrier islands, and coral reefs. Extensive erosion and coral losses result in increased immediate and long-term hazards to shorelines that include densely populated regions. These hazards put critical infrastructure at risk to future flooding and erosion and may cause economic losses. The USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards Resources Program (CMHRP) is assessing hurricane-induced coastal erosion along the southeast US coastline and implications for vulnerability to future storms.

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. Direct data download | Metadata NOAA OCS U.S. Maritime Limits & Boundaries

According to a 2024 survey, the most important vehicle baseline feature for road trips in the United States was comfortable seating, with 85 percent of respondents saying so. Fuel efficiency followed at 62 percent, while ample storage compartments and cup holders were seen as a priority by 50 percent of respondents.

The Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska is an area of strategic economic importance to the United States, is home to remote Native American communities, and encompasses unique habitats of global significance. Coastal erosion along the north coast of Alaska is chronic, widespread, may be accelerating, and is threatening defense and energy-related infrastructure, natural shoreline habitats, and Native communities. There is an increased demand for accurate information regarding past and present shoreline changes across the United States. To meet these national needs, the Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is compiling existing reliable historical shoreline data along sandy shores of the conterminous United States and parts of Alaska and Hawaii under the National Assessment of Shoreline Change project. There is no widely accepted standard for analyzing shoreline change. Existing shoreline data measurements and rate calculation methods vary from study to study and prevent combining results into state-wide or regional assessments. The impetus behind the National Assessment project was to develop a standardized method of measuring changes in shoreline position that is consistent from coast to coast. The goal was to facilitate the process of periodically and systematically updating the results in an internally consistent manner.