39963 MaritimeLimits Data Set Published / External 37241 ocs Project On Going 2002 2013 2013 These limits and boundaries are measured from the official U.S. baseline, which is recognized as the low-water line along the coast as marked on NOAA nautical charts, in accordance with the articles of the Law of the Sea. NOAA is responsible for delineating the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea, 24 nautical mile Contiguous Zone, and 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on its nautical charts. The outer limit of each zone is measured from the U.S. normal baseline, which is the low water line on NOAA charts and includes closing lines across legal bays and rivers, consistent with international law. The U.S. Baseline Committee, an interagency body chaired by the U.S. Department of State, reviews and approves the U.S. baseline and associated maritime limits. The Committee's purpose is to gain interagency consensus on the baseline's accurate placement, in adherence with the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone and ensure that the seaward extent of U.S. maritime zones remains within the breadth permitted by international law. In 2002, and in response to increasing requests for digital maritime zones, NOAA, in partnership with other federal agencies via the U.S. Baseline Committee, launched a project to re-evaluate the U.S. baseline. The baseline evaluation centered on NOAA's most detailed and current nautical charts, along with supplemental source materials used to verify specific charted features. This dataset is a direct result of this ongoing 2002 initiative. It reflects a multi-year, iterative project during which the baseline and associated maritime limits were re-evaluated on a state or regional basis. In addition to U.S. maritime limits, the dataset also includes U.S. maritime boundaries with opposite or adjacent countries and the U.S./Canada International Boundary (both on land and through the Great Lakes). 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. For more detailed information about specific regional limits and boundaries, refer to the supplemental information documents. Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category boundaries Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category planningCadastre Theme NGDA Portfolio Themes NGDA Theme NGDA Portfolio Themes National Geospatial Data Asset Theme NGDA Portfolio Themes Water Oceans and Coasts Theme Theme Geospatial Platform OceanCommunity Theme NGDA Portfolio Themes NGDAID167 Theme NOS Data Explorer Topic Category Marine Boundaries Theme NOS Data Explorer Topic Category Nautical Charting Theme Boundary Theme Contiguous Zone Theme Exclusive Economic Zone Theme Federal Register, Vol 60, No. 163, August 23, 1995 Theme GIS Theme ICJ Judgment, Gulf of Maine, 1984 Theme International Boundary Commission Theme Law of the Sea Theme Limit Theme Maritime Theme Polyline Theme Presidential Proclamation No. 5030, March 1983 Theme Presidential Proclamation No. 5928, December 1988 Theme Presidential Proclamation No. 7219, August 1999 Theme Territorial Sea Theme US/Cook Islands Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1980 Theme US/Cuba Maritime Boundary Agreement, 1977 Theme US/Japan Exchange of Notes, 1994 Theme US/Mexico Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1970 Theme US/Mexico Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1978 Theme US/New Zealand (Tokelau) Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1980 Theme US/Niue Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1997 Theme US/Russia Maritime Boundary Agreement, 1990 Theme US/UK (Anguilla) Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1993 Theme US/UK (British Virgin Islands) Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1993 Theme US/Venezuela Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1978 Spatial Geographic Names Information System Alabama Spatial Geographic Names Information System Alaska Spatial Geographic Names Information System American Samoa Spatial Geographic Names Information System Baker Island Spatial Geographic Names Information System California Spatial Geographic Names Information System Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Spatial Geographic Names Information System Delaware Spatial Geographic Names Information System Florida Spatial Geographic Names Information System Georgia Spatial Geographic Names Information System Guam Spatial Geographic Names Information System Hawaii Spatial Geographic Names Information System Howland Island Spatial Geographic Names Information System Jarvis Island Spatial Geographic Names Information System Johnston Atoll Spatial Geographic Names Information System Kingman Reef Spatial Geographic Names Information System Louisiana Spatial Geographic Names Information System Maine Spatial Geographic Names Information System Maryland Spatial Geographic Names Information System Massachusetts Spatial Geographic Names Information System Mississippi Spatial Geographic Names Information System New Hampshire Spatial Geographic Names Information System New Jersey Spatial Geographic Names Information System New York Spatial Geographic Names Information System North Carolina Spatial Geographic Names Information System Oregon Spatial Geographic Names Information System Palmyra Atoll Spatial Geographic Names Information System Puerto Rico Spatial Geographic Names Information System Rhode Island Spatial Geographic Names Information System South Carolina Spatial Geographic Names Information System Texas Spatial Geographic Names Information System U.S. Virgin Islands Spatial Geographic Names Information System Virginia Spatial Geographic Names Information System Wake Island Spatial Geographic Names Information System Washington Office of Coast Survey Silver Spring MD Data Set GIS shapefile Continually Updates to the digital U.S. maritime limits and boundaries are primarily triggered by geographical changes or new international agreements. These geographical changes include significant accretion or erosion of the charted low water line (approximately 500 meters or more), or alterations to low tide elevations (like rocks awash) based on new hydrographic survey information. New treaties or international agreements with neighboring coastal states can also necessitate updates. Vector digital data Users must assume responsibility to determine the appropriate use of this data set. The digital maritime limits are not to be used for a legal definition. The legal definition still remains the depiction on NOAA's nautical charts. 41512 MaritimeLimits_DD Published / External Completed Data Dictionary for Maritime Limits and Boundaries attributes. | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey Converted from FGDC using 'fgdc_to_inport_xml_entity.pl' script. Other Yes Data Dictionary Attributes of Maritime Limits and Boundaries dataset. 1 FID OID No No Active OBJECTID - Internal feature number | Description Source: ESRI Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated 2 Shape Geometry No No Active Feature geometry | Description Source: ESRI Coordinates defining the features 3 BOUND_ID String No No Active Boundary ID - Unique identifier of the boundary segment. | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey Unique ID of this feature 4 REGION String No No Active Identifier of the general area, state(s), or territory from which the limit is drawn | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey Contains free text of the general area, state(s), or territory name 5 FEAT_TYPE String No No Active Type of Feature - features can either be a land boundary (between the U.S. and Canada), a maritime limit, or a maritime boundary between the U.S. and an adjacent or opposite country. | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey Maritime Limit: Limit of the U.S. maritime zone | Maritime Boundary: International maritime boundary between the U.S. and a neighboring country | Land Boundary: International land boundary between the U.S. and a neighboring country | 6 FEAT_TYPE: TS VARCHAR No No Active REGION: Territorial Sea | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey 0: The feature is not the 12nm territorial sea limit or a segment of territorial sea from 0 to 12nm | 1: The feature is the 12nm territorial sea limit or a segment of territorial sea from 0 to 12nm | 7 FEAT_TYPE: CZ VARCHAR No No Active REGION: Contiguous Zone | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey 0: The feature is not the 24nm contiguous zone limit or a segment of contiguous zone from 12nm to 24nm | 1: The feature is the 24nm contiguous zone limit or a segment of contiguous zone from 12nm to 24nm | 8 FEAT_TYPE: EEZ VARCHAR No No Active REGION: Exclusive Economic Zone | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey 0: The feature is not the 200nm EEZ or a segment of the EEZ per customary international law from 12nm to 200nm | 1: The feature is the 200nm EEZ or a segment of the EEZ per customary international law from 12nm to 200nm | 9 FEAT_TYPE: F_EEZ VARCHAR No No Active REGION: U.S. Fishery EEZ | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey 0: The feature is not the 200nm EEZ or a segment of U.S. fishery EEZ from the limit of the states\x92 jurisdiction to 200nm | 1: The feature is the 200nm EEZ or a segment of U.S. fishery EEZ from the limit of the states\x92 jurisdiction to 200nm | 10 PUB_DATE Date No No Active Publication Date - date the digital line feature was officially published online. | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey Publication date of the limit/boundary line in MM/DD/YYYY format 11 APPRV_DATE Date No No Active Approval date of baseline points by the ad hoc Committee on the U.S. Baseline | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey Date Field formatted as MM/DD/YYYY for the date on which the limits were approved by the U.S. Baseline Committee, chaired by the Department of State 12 LEGAL_AUTH String No No Active Legal Authority - treaty, agreement, or proclamation granting the government authority to establish the limit or boundary. | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey Free text referencing the legal source of the limit/boundary 13 AOR String No No Active Agency of Responsibility - federal agency responsible for maintaining the digital data | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey The government agency that is responsible for publishing and managing the limit/boundary on NOAA charts 14 NOTE String No No Active Additional notes about the limit/boundary. | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey Free text containing special notes about the limit/boundary 15 UNILATERAL Double No No Active Unilateral Claims - Numeric indicator specifying whether the limit line represents a unilaterally claimed boundary. Some maritime boundary claims have not been agreed upon by all parties. These boundaries are designated as unilateral claims. | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey 0: The feature is not a segment of a U.S. unilateral maritime boundary claim | 1: The feature is a segment of a U.S. unilateral maritime boundary claim | 16 SYMBOL VARCHAR No No Active Symbology | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey 1: A black line of alternating crosses, generally conveying a land boundary per Chart No.1 symbol N40 | 2: A solid grey line interspersed with fish symbols at regular intervals, generally conveying the U.S. Fishery EEZ limit, per a combination of Chart No.1 symbols N42 and N45 | 3: A solid grey line, generally conveying U.S. maritime limits and U.S. unilateral maritime boundaries, per Chart No.1 symbol N42 | 4: A magenta line of alternating crosses and dashes with interspersed fish symbols at regular intervals, generally conveying a maritime boundary alongside the U.S. Fishery EEZ, per a combination of Chart No.1 symbols N41 and N45 | 5: A magenta line of alternating crosses and dashes, generally conveying a maritime boundary outside the U.S. Fishery EEZ, per Chart No.1 symbol N41 | 17 SUPP_INFO String No No Active Supplemental Information - link to metadata about the specific boundary segment. The document supplements the parent metadata record. | Description Source: Office of Coast Survey Link to supplemental information in text format about this feature Data Steward 2013-09-13 Person Wallace, Tara tara.wallace@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3720-1025 Distributor 2013-09-13 Organization Office of Coast Survey OCS https://ror.org/05evek152 1315 East West Highway Silver Spring MD 20910 https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ Metadata Contact 2013-09-13 Person Nelson, Kurt kurt.a.nelson@noaa.gov 301-713-2645 x142 Point of Contact 2013-09-13 Person Wallace, Tara tara.wallace@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3720-1025 Ground Condition 140 -60 74.70884 -17.555 Range 2002 2015 Update to dataset forthcoming. Yes Yes 367 Geographic 2D EPSG:4326 WGS 84 World Geodetic System 1984 WGS 84 6378137 298.257223563 1 Geodetic Lattitude Lat degree north 2 Geodetic Longitude Lon degree east Standard CC0-1.0 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ These data were produced by NOAA and are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. NOAA waives any potential copyright and related rights in these data worldwide through the Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0-1.0). Unclassified None. 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 Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs). https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/ 2013-09-13 Organization Office of Coast Survey https://ror.org/05evek152 Downloadable Data ESRI REST service ESRI REST Service 10.1 https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/WMSServer?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS 2013-09-13 Organization Office of Coast Survey https://ror.org/05evek152 Downloadable Data Web Mapping Service WMS - Web Map Service 1.3.0 https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesKML.kmz 2013-09-13 Organization Office of Coast Survey https://ror.org/05evek152 Downloadable Data KML KML/KMZ - Keyhole Markup Language https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip 2013-09-13 Organization Office of Coast Survey https://ror.org/05evek152 Downloadable Data SHP (ESRI Shapefile) Shapefile https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/us-maritime-limits-and-boundaries.html Online Resource Project website 2016-09-01 Date that the source FGDC record was last modified. 2017-04-05 Converted from FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (version FGDC-STD-001-1998) using 'fgdc_to_inport_xml.pl' script. Contact Tyler Christensen (NOS) for details. 2017-09-13 Partial upload of Spatial Info section only. 2017-11-01 Replaced entire Lineage section to populate new Source Contribution field. 2018-02-08 Partial upload of Positional Accuracy fields only. 2026 Updated InPort record Updated InPort record with complete information. Caris Law of the Sea: Limits and Boundaries v.4.0 Service Pack 6 and v. 4.1; Esri ArcGIS Desktop 10.2.1+; Microsoft Windows 10 Due to software and process limitations, this dataset does not contain attributes that speak to the issue of accuracy. The accuracy of this dataset is dependent on the map resolution created in CARIS LOTS, the chart scale used to derive the baseline from which the maritime limits are measured, and coordinate precision of maritime boundary coordinates that are defined in treaties or in the 1995 Federal Register Notice. No specific test was performed on the dataset. The maritime limits are a reflection of the largest scale electronic nautical charts of the area. The number of decimal places used in the output format does not imply an accuracy level higher than the source chart documents. The maritime limits are projected from salient points along a designated baseline, which is generally referred to as the farthest seaward low-water mark depicted on the largest scale, most recent edition raster nautical charts. When necessary, hydrographic surveys were referenced to ensure the depiction of certain rocks on NOAA's nautical charts dry at mean lower low water. Beyond utilizing the tidally-referenced shoreline depicted on NOAA's nautical charts, no specific test was used to determine the vertical accuracy of the points. This dataset is complete. Maritime limits are ambulatory; therefore, the limits may be updated at a later date if the charted depictions of the farthest seaward low-water mark changes. In addition, the maritime boundaries portion of this dataset may be updated if a new maritime boundary agreement is established or revised. The maritime limits reflect the baseline as depicted on relevant largest scale, most recent edition raster nautical charts of the area. They are believed to be logically consistent. Review by the U.S. Baseline Committee (chaired by Department of State) before publication. Geographical Positions along the International Boundary (NAD83) Organization International Boundary Commission Publisher Range 1915 1986 http://www.internationalboundarycommission.org/en/maps-coordinates.php Link to report. US/Canada international boundary polyline was constructed using published coordinates from the US/Canada International Boundary Commission. The polyline was used as a source of this dataset. The boundary was merged with OCS' published maritime limits and maritime boundaries and further attributed | Source Geospatial Form: Text | Type of Source Media: online Merged Digital Maritime Limits and Maritime Boundaries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) Discrete 2010 Single dataset in WGS84 of digital state/regional maritime limits, created by merging published ESRI Shapefiles from NOAA's Office of Coast Survey website. Dataset was merged with the US/Canada international boundary to create the approved US maritime limits and boundaries dataset. | Source Geospatial Form: geodatabase feature class | Type of Source Media: online Nautical Charts Organization National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) Publisher Continuing 2011 https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ Link to data source. NOAA's Nautical charts are used to derive the US baseline, which incorporates the charted low-water line and closing lines across entrances to legal bays, rivers, and harbors. The most recent edition, largest scale nautical charts are used as a source of the baseline. | Source Geospatial Form: raster digital data | Type of Source Media: chart Regional Digital Maritime Limits and Maritime Boundaries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) 2011-05-01 Range 2002 2010 The limits of the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea, 24 nautical mile Contiguous Zone, and 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone as well as the maritime boundaries were published in vector digital data format on a state or region basis between 2002 and 2010. These previously published regional data were used as source for this dataset. They were compiled together and further attributed. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: Vector digital data US Baseline Committee Approved Maritime Limits and Boundaries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) 2011-05-01 Continuing 2011 Digital US maritime limits, maritime boundaries, and international boundaries were approved by the interagency US Baseline Committee. Dataset is continually revised based on changes to nautical charts or by special request. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: vector digital data US/Canada international Boundary National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) Discrete 2010 Polylines of the US/Canada international boundary contructed from coordinates obtained from the IBC. Polylines combined with maritime limits to created the approved US maritime limits and boundaries dataset. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online 1 From 2002 to 2010, the interagency U.S. Baseline Committee re-evaluated the U.S. baseline and associated maritime limits as depicted on NOAA charts on a state or regional basis. As a result of this multiple year, iterative project, digital state/regional maritime limits, including the 200nm EEZ, were produced and published in ESRI Shapefile format on NOAA\x92s Office of Coast Survey website. To create a seamless, continuous maritime limits dataset, OCS did the following: 1) transformed the state/regional digital limits, in SHP format, from NAD83 to WGS84; 2) merged the WGS84 SHP files into a single dataset using ESRI ArcGIS and imported into a file geodatabase; 3) segmented the merged limits according to chart symbology groupings as well as feature type (e.g. maritime boundary, maritime limit, or land boundary) to more closely match NOAA charts; and 4) re-attributed the dataset | Source Produced: Merged Digital Maritime Limits and Maritime Boundaries 2011-03-01T00:00:00 Regional Digital Maritime Limits and Maritime Boundaries 2 The coordinates of US/Canada international boundary were obtained from International Boundary Commission in NAD83 and saved into a text file. A point shapefile was created based on the text file in NAD83 and then transformed to WGS84. Polylines were constructed using the point shapefile. All polylines were constructed as rhumb lines, except the following three portions: 1) line segment from 43.631127N, 76.796687W to 43.631127N, 78.690388W; 2) line segment from 41.676561N, 82.397473W to 41.676561N, 82.679716W; 3) line segment in Gulf of Maine ruled by ICJ. These three portions were constructed as geodesic lines. The polylines were segmented according to the grouping of published coordinates on IBC website. New attributes were created and the polyline was attributed. | Source Produced: US/Canada international Boundary 2011-03-01T00:00:00 Geographical Positions along the International Boundary (NAD83) 3 US/Canada international boundaries generated in the second process step were imported into file geodatabase and merged with maritime limits generated in the first process step. Topology rules were established in the file geodatabase to detect overlapping, self-intersecting, and dangling polyline features. Any topological errors flagged by topology check were investigated and corrected when necessary. When a polyline feature spans across -/+180 longitude, ESRI clips the feature at the longitude, resulting in dangling polyline. Topology errors as a result of clipping at 180 longitude were marked as exception. Other topology errors were corrected. The dataset was exported as a shapefile. | Source Produced: US Baseline Committee Approved Maritime Limits and Boundaries 2010-01-01T00:00:00 Merged Digital Maritime Limits and Maritime Boundaries 4 Maritime limits and boundaries are updated using the most recent edition, largest scale nautical charts. Updates are triggered by a new chart edition, or by a formal request to re-evaluate the baseline. Charts are used as a backdrop in the ESRI ArcMap environment to create vector shorelines and lines closing the entrances to legal bays, rivers, and harbors. These lines are imported to the Caris LOTS environment. The "Enevelope of Arcs from normal baselines" tool is applied to vector shorelines, and the "Envelope of Arcs from straight baselines" tool is applied to closing lines. As input to the tools, OCS selects the limit distance in nautical miles and designates minimum attributes for the baseline points. The tool generates the contributing baseline points and the boundary limit using a wagon-wheel filtering process of rolling a circle with a diameter specified by the limit distance and choosing the seaward-most points along the low water line. Previously approved limits are manually intersected and replaced with the revised limits to create seamless, revised limit lines. Caris generated EOA control lines, which display how baseline points contribute to particular arc segments of the limit line, are used to inform the manual intersect and replace function. The final dataset is exported from Caris to a shapefile in WGS84, and attributed in the ESRI ArcMap environment. 2013-01-01T00:00:00 US Baseline Committee Approved Maritime Limits and Boundaries 41512 Entity gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:39963 Tyler Christensen 2017-04-05T13:49:31 Courtney Thompson 2026-08-20T14:22:07 2018-12-14 Office of Coast Survey OCS 1002 Public No No 2018-12-14 1 Year 2019-12-14