gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:39963 eng UTF8 dataset Office of Coast Survey resourceProvider Nelson, Kurt 301-713-2645 x142 kurt.a.nelson@noaa.gov pointOfContact 2026-03-18T12:27:51 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) curve 367 EPSG::4326 Maritime Limits and Boundaries of United States of America MaritimeLimitsParent 2002 creation 2020 revision 2013-09-13 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 39963 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39963 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information https://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/data/us-maritime-limits-and-boundaries.html WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL Project website download 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. completed Wallace, Tara tara.wallace@noaa.gov pointOfContact Wallace, Tara tara.wallace@noaa.gov custodian continual NGDA National Geospatial Data Asset Water Oceans and Coasts Theme NGDAID167 theme NGDA Portfolio Themes OceanCommunity theme Geospatial Platform Marine Boundaries Nautical Charting theme NOS Data Explorer Topic Category Alabama Alaska American Samoa Baker Island California Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Delaware Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Howland Island Jarvis Island Johnston Atoll Kingman Reef Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Mississippi New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Carolina Oregon Palmyra Atoll Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina Texas U.S. Virgin Islands Virginia Wake Island Washington place Geographic Names Information System Boundary Contiguous Zone Exclusive Economic Zone Federal Register, Vol 60, No. 163, August 23, 1995 GIS ICJ Judgment, Gulf of Maine, 1984 International Boundary Commission Law of the Sea Limit Maritime Polyline Presidential Proclamation No. 5030, March 1983 Presidential Proclamation No. 5928, December 1988 Presidential Proclamation No. 7219, August 1999 Territorial Sea US/Cook Islands Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1980 US/Cuba Maritime Boundary Agreement, 1977 US/Japan Exchange of Notes, 1994 US/Mexico Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1970 US/Mexico Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1978 US/New Zealand (Tokelau) Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1980 US/Niue Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1997 US/Russia Maritime Boundary Agreement, 1990 US/UK (Anguilla) Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1993 US/UK (British Virgin Islands) Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1993 US/Venezuela Maritime Boundary Treaty, 1978 theme DOC/NOAA/NOS/OCS > Office of Coast Survey, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2017-04-24 publication 8.5 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian ocs project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Office of Coast Survey, [Date of Access]: Maritime Limits and Boundaries of United States of America [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39963. NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose. otherRestrictions Access Constraints: None otherRestrictions Use Constraints: 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. otherRestrictions Distribution Liability: 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. unclassified NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA/NMFS/EDM 39963 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocs/dmp/pdf/39963.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. information crossReference vector eng; US boundaries planningCadastre 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 10 140 -60 -17.555 74.70884 | Currentness: Ground Condition 2002 2010 For more detailed information about specific regional limits and boundaries, refer to the supplemental information documents. false eng false Maritime Limits and Boundaries 2018-12-14 publication KML/KMZ - Keyhole Markup Language WMS - Web Map Service 1.3.0 ESRI REST Service 10.1 Shapefile Office of Coast Survey 1315 East West Highway Silver Spring MD 20910 https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Office of Coast Survey Website Website listed for Office of Coast Survey information distributor https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesKML.kmz WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesKML.kmz Downloadable Data download https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/WMSServer?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/WMSServer?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS Downloadable Data download https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/MaritimeBoundaries/US_Maritime_Limits_Boundaries/MapServer/ Downloadable Data download https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip Downloadable Data download dataset Accuracy 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. Horizontal Positional Accuracy No specific test was performed on the dataset. The maritime limits are a reflection of the largest scale raster 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. Vertical Positional Accuracy 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. Completeness Report 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. Conceptual Consistency 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. 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 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 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 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 Source Contribution: 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 Geographical Positions along the International Boundary (NAD83) International Boundary Commission http://www.internationalboundarycommission.org/en/maps-coordinates.php WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Source Citation URL Link to report. information publisher 1915 1986 Source Contribution: 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 Merged Digital Maritime Limits and Maritime Boundaries National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) 2010 Source Contribution: 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 Nautical Charts National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) https://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Source Citation URL Link to data source. information publisher 2011 Source Contribution: 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 Regional Digital Maritime Limits and Maritime Boundaries 2011-05-01 publication National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) 2002 2010 Source Contribution: 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 Baseline Committee Approved Maritime Limits and Boundaries 2011-05-01 publication National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) 2011 Source Contribution: 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 US/Canada international Boundary National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS) 2010