This layer shows coastal channels and waterways that are maintained and surveyed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These channels are necessary transportation systems that serve economic and national security interests. The possibility of silting is always present. Local authorities should be consulted for the controlling depth. NOAA Charts frequently show controlling depths in a table, which is kept current by the U.S. Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners.

A deepwater port is a fixed or floating man-made structure, or a group of structures, other than a vessel, located beyond State seaward boundaries and used or intended for use as a port or terminal for the transportation, storage, and further handling of oil or natural gas for transportation to or from any State.

Offshore state lateral boundaries define part of the geographic extent of the submerged lands that a state holds and manages in the public trust. Well-defined boundaries help a state manage its natural resources and statutory obligations with a measured amount of certainty. However, state lateral boundaries, both on land and at sea, have not always been stable and well defined. The historic record often shows conflicting borders that have led to interstate disagreements, court cases, and in some instances lingering stalemates. These data show the approximate position of a states offshore lateral boundary based on official and unofficial sources. Some boundaries have been omitted when a sufficient data source could not be found.

These data show the boundaries for select vessel routing measures in U.S. waters. These measures are part of an international ships routing system established by the IMO. Routing systems are systems of predetermined routes and related measures that are recommended for use by, and may be made mandatory for, all ships, certain categories of ships or ships carrying certain cargoes when adopted and implemented in accordance with the guidelines and criteria developed by the [IMO] and are designed to contribute to the safety of life at sea, safety and efficiency of navigation, and/or protection of the marine environment. SOLAS Chapter V, reg. 10, para. 1. For coastal and ocean planning. Not for navigation.

These data show the location of ocean observing assets within U.S. waters, and the physical parameters generally collected at each platform or gauge.

A shore-based station that provides identity, time synchronization, and text messages, which report (message 4) every ten seconds and are identified by a 00MIDxxxxx MMSI. These stations can also transmit AIS ATON Reports (message 21) and Application Specific Messages (ASM, message 6 and message 8) for meteorological or hydrological information, marine safety information, etc. (see the IALA Application Specific Message Collection). The Coast Guard Light List maintains a list of U.S. stations that also act as AIS ATONs or transmit ASMs. In the United States, these stations are solely operated by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in the Nationwide Automatic Identification System, a nationwide network that supports all USCG missions and is designed to enhance the Coast Guards maritime domain awareness of vessels operating in or approaching the nations waterways, ports, and infrastructure. This network, which comprises 130-plus base stations and 150-plus USACE inland stations, collects over 120 million AIS messages daily and shares information with other government agencies, industry, academia, and coastal planners.

The Submerged Lands Act (43 U.S.C. Section 1301 et seq.) grants coastal states title to natural resources located within their coastal submerged lands and navigable waters out to three nautical miles from their coastlines (three marine leagues for Texas and Florida's Gulf of Mexico coastlines). The Submerged Lands Act defines "natural resources" to include oil, gas, and all other minerals, and fish, shrimp, oysters, clams, crabs, lobsters, sponges, kelp, and other marine animal and plant life," yet expressly excludes "water power, or the use of water for the production of power" 43 U.S.C. Section 1301(e). The term "coast line" is "the line of ordinary low water along that portion of the coast which is in direct contact with the open sea and the line marking the seaward limit of inland waters" (43 U.S.C. Section 1301(c)). Some boundary delineations are approximated, including areas in Hawaii, Alaska, and Washington State. The official delineation of the Submerged Lands Act in these locations has not yet been established by BOEM. Please reference BOEM's official Submerged Lands Act Boundary in these locations to determine where this boundary is approximated and where it is official. Source: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title43/pdf/USCODE-2011-title43-chap29.pdf Date enacted: May 22, 1953 Codification: 43 U.S.C. Sec. 1301 et seq. Authority: agencies of several U.S. coastal states

U.S. collision regulation boundaries delineate those waters upon which mariners shall comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (72 COLREGS) and those waters upon which mariners shall comply with the Inland Navigation Rules. The waters inland of these lines are subject to the Inland Navigation Rules Act of 1980. The waters outside these lines are subject to the International Navigation Rules of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGS). The Coast Guard has the legal authority to effect regulatory changes to COLREGS. Records in this database are derived from descriptions published in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 33, Part 80 and are for planning purposes only.

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 National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of 30 coastal sites designated to protect and study estuarine systems. Established through the Coastal Zone Management Act, the reserves represent a partnership program between NOAA and the coastal states. NOAA provides funding and national guidance, and each site is managed on a daily basis by a lead state agency or university with input from local partners.