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

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.

(Version 4.1, updated September 13, 2013) 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. For more information about U.S. Maritime Limits and Boundaries and to stay up-to-date, 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/MB_ParentDataset.html. Coordinates for the US/Canada international boundary, on land and through the Great Lakes, are managed by the International Boundary Commission.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

The MPA Inventory is a comprehensive catalog that provides detailed information for existing marine protected areas in the United States. The inventory provides geospatial boundary information (in polygon format) and classification attributes that seek to define the conservation objectives, protection level, governance and related management criteria for all sites in the database. The comprehensive inventory of federal, state and territorial MPA sites provides governments and stakeholders with access to information to make better decisions about the current and future use of place-based conservation. The information also will be used to inform the development of the national system of marine protected areas as required by Executive Order 13158.

The Proclamation 5030 by the President of the United States of America (10 March 1983) states that the exclusive economic zone of the United States is a zone contiguous to the territorial sea, including zones contiguous to the territorial sea of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (to the extent consistent with the Covenant and the United Nations Trusteeship Agreement), and United States overseas Territories and possessions. The exclusive economic zone extends to a distance 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. In cases where the maritime boundary with a neighbouring State remains to be determined, the boundary of the exclusive economic zone shall be determined by the United States and other State concerned in accordance with equitable principles.

Within the exclusive economic zone, the United States has, to the extent permitted by international law, (a) sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing natural resources, both living and non-living, of the sea-bed 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; and (b) jurisdiction with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, and installations and structures having economic purposes, and the protection and preservation of the marine environment.

https://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/USA_1983_Proclamation.pdf

The Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act legally establishes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program. The mission of the NOAA Marine Debris Program is to use research, prevention, and reduction activities to investigate and solve problems that stem from marine debris, in order to protect and conserve our Nation’s marine environment and ensure navigation safety. The Act outlines three central program components for the MDP to undertake: 1) mapping, identification, impact assessment, removal, and prevention; 2) reducing and preventing gear loss; and 3) outreach.

© MarineCadastre.gov This layer is a component of Federal Georegulations.

These data represent the unofficial boundaries of the respective federal georegulations found herein, as of 2016. Learn how these specific boundaries were created and find source material used, by referencing the metadata of each federal georegulation found here: https://coast.noaa.gov/data/Documents/Metadata/MarineCadastre/harvest/. When investigating geo-regulatory boundaries near the boundary edges, users should consult the most up to date applicable jurisdictional boundaries from all respective authoritative sources. To determine other federal georegulations that apply to an area, please reference the Federal Georegulations Identification service found here: https://coast.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/MarineCadastre/FederalGeoregulationsIdentification/MapServer. These data are intended for coastal and ocean use planning and do not serve as a legal delineation of any law.

This service is maintained by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management (OCM), in partnership with Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). More information about this product can be found at www.MarineCadastre.gov. This map service presents spatial information about MarineCadastre.gov services across the United States and Territories in the Web Mercator projection. NOAA provides the information “as-is” and shall incur no responsibility or liability as to the completeness or accuracy of this information. NOAA assumes no responsibility arising from the use of this information. The NOAA Office for Coastal Management will make every effort to provide continual access to this service but it may need to be taken down during routine IT maintenance or in case of an emergency. If you plan to ingest this service into your own application and would like to be informed about planned and unplanned service outages or changes to existing services, please register for our Data Services Newsletter (http://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/publications/subscribe). For additional information, please contact the NOAA Office for Coastal Management (coastal.info@noaa.gov).

© NOAA Office for Coastal Management

These data represent the location of Danger Zones and Restricted Areas within coastal and marine waters, as outlined by the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and the Raster Navigational Charts (RNC). The CFR defines a Danger Zone as, "A defined water area (or areas) used for target practice, bombing, rocket firing or other especially hazardous operations, normally for the armed forces. The danger zones may be closed to the public on a full-time or intermittent basis, as stated in the regulations." The CFR defines a Restricted Area as, "A defined water area for the purpose of prohibiting or limiting public access to the area. Restricted areas generally provide security for Government property and/or protection to the public from the risks of damage or injury arising from the Government's use of that area." Authoritative information relating to these data may be found in Title 33, Chapter II of the CFR (Part 334).

© MarineCadastre.gov This layer is a component of Navigation and Marine Transportation.

Marine Cadastre themed service for public consumption featuring layers associated with navigation and marine transportation.

This map service presents spatial information about MarineCadastre.gov services across the United States and Territories in the Web Mercator projection. The service was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), but may contain data and information from a variety of data sources, including non-NOAA data. NOAA provides the information “as-is” and shall incur no responsibility or liability as to the completeness or accuracy of this information. NOAA assumes no responsibility arising from the use of this information. The NOAA Office for Coastal Management will make every effort to provide continual access to this service but it may need to be taken down during routine IT maintenance or in case of an emergency. If you plan to ingest this service into your own application and would like to be informed about planned and unplanned service outages or changes to existing services, please register for our Data Services Newsletter (http://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/publications/subscribe). For additional information, please contact the NOAA Office for Coastal Management (coastal.info@noaa.gov).

© MarineCadastre.gov

KAV 6942 cover memo. Visit https://dataone.org/datasets/sha256%3A2664d56dcda2617b27cd5cd2edd042d5ed81198c31bc6d3e82c0d88b405c6f76 for complete metadata about this dataset.

Document 2023-15187, Category PROPOSED RULES has been scheduled to publish on 07-24-2023.This document will be placed on public inspection on 07-21-2023 08:45:00.The comments due date is 09-22-2023.SUMMARY: We, NMFS, propose to designate critical habitat for the Rice’s whale (Balaenoptera ricei) by designating waters from the 100 meter (m) isobath to the 400 m isobath in the Gulf of Mexico (GOMx), pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have considered economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the proposed designation. We are not excluding any particular area from the critical habitat designation. We seek comments on all aspects of the proposed critical habitat designation and will consider information received before issuing a final designation.DESIGNATION: Critical habitat for the Rice’s whale includes all marine waters from a nearshore boundary corresponding to the 100-meter isobath to an offshore boundary corresponding to the 400-meter isobath in the Gulf of Mexico and between the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone boundary off of Texas east to the boundary between the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (50 CFR 600.105(c)) off of Florida.Standardized spatial reference is the World Geodetic System 1984 geographic coordinate system (GCS_WGS_1984, EPSG well-known identifier 4326).Data Sources Used to Create Proposed Rice's Whale Critical Habitat Boundaries: 1. 100m and 400m Bathymetric Contours: NOAA, Office for Coastal Management, 2023: Bathymetric Contours, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/54364. ArcGIS Map Server: https://coast.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/OceanReports/BathymetricContours/MapServer. Using the map server, only the 100m and 400m depth contours were queried. 2. International Maritime Boundary EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). NOAA, Office of Coast Survey. 2023: U.S. Maritime Limits and Boundaries. https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/us-maritime-limits-and-boundaries.html#faq. ArcGIS Map Server: https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer.3. GMFMC - SAFMC boundary delineation - boundary line between the GMFMC and SAFMC jurisdictions.

These boundaries represent the territorial sea for U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands, including Hawaii, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, as well as the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands of Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island.

Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most twelve nautical miles (12 nmi) from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state. The territorial sea is regarded as the sovereign territory of the state, although foreign ships are allowed innocent passage through it; this sovereignty also extends to the airspace over and seabed below.

The Office of Coast Survey's Wrecks and Obstructions database contains information on the identified submerged wrecks and obstructions within the U.S. maritime boundaries. The data includes the position of each feature (latitude and longitude) along with a brief description. Information to populate the database comes from what is currently available on the electronic navigational chart (ENC) and Coast Survey's Automated Wrecks and Obstructions Information System (AWOIS) database.

description: This layer is a polygonal dataset that represents land and maritime boundaries for each representative United States Coast Guard district, which includes district 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14 and 17.; abstract: This layer is a polygonal dataset that represents land and maritime boundaries for each representative United States Coast Guard district, which includes district 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14 and 17.

These data provide the spatial boundaries of DeFacto Marine Protected Areas in U.S. Waters. With nearly 1200 sites (for which GIS data are available), DFMPAs cover 3% of the U.S. waters, (0-200 nautical miles offshore), which includes the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Territorial Sea, and state waters. DFMPAs range in size from less than one acre to more than 40,000 km2, though the vast majority is at the smaller end of this spectrum. Most of the small sites were created to provide places for vessels to anchor safely. Most of the large sites provide dedicated training and operation areas for various branches of the U.S. military, or facilitate the transfer of oil and gas to moored tanker vessels.

The Proclamation 5030 by the President of the United States of America (10 March 1983) states that the exclusive economic zone of the United States is a zone contiguous to the territorial sea, including zones contiguous to the territorial sea of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (to the extent consistent with the Covenant and the United Nations Trusteeship Agreement), and United States overseas Territories and possessions. The exclusive economic zone extends to a distance 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. In cases where the maritime boundary with a neighbouring State remains to be determined, the boundary of the exclusive economic zone shall be determined by the United States and other State concerned in accordance with equitable principles.

Within the exclusive economic zone, the United States has, to the extent permitted by international law, (a) sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing natural resources, both living and non-living, of the sea-bed 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; and (b) jurisdiction with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, and installations and structures having economic purposes, and the protection and preservation of the marine environment.

https://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/USA_1983_Proclamation.pdf

The Territorial Sea of the United States of America By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation of 27 December 1988 states the extension of the territorial sea of the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory or possession over which the United States exercises sovereignty.

The territorial sea of the United States henceforth extends to 12 nautical miles from the baselines of the United States determined in accordance with international law. In accordance with international law, as reflected in the applicable provisions of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, within the territorial sea of the United States, the ships of all countries enjoy the right of innocent passage and the ships and aircraft of all countries enjoy the right of transit passage through international straits. Nothing in this Proclamation: (a) extends or otherwise alters existing federal or State law or any jurisdiction, rights, legal interests, or obligations derived therefrom, or (b) impairs the determination, in accordance with international law, of any maritime boundary of the United States with a foreign jurisdiction.

https://www.un.org/depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/USA_1988_Proclamation.pdf