Description: 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.
Copyright Text: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office of Coast Survey (OCS)
Description: The NOAA MPA Inventory (v2020) 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. NOTE that this data layer represents IUCN MPAs only. IUCN MPAs are those sites that meet the IUCN definition of protected area as published in 2019 guidelines: 'A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the longterm conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values'.
Copyright Text: NOAA Marine Protected Areas Center in joint effort with the US Department of the Interior
Description: The NOAA MPA Inventory (v2020) 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. NOTE that this data layer represents IUCN MPAs only. IUCN MPAs are those sites that meet the IUCN definition of protected area as published in 2019 guidelines: 'A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the longterm conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values'.
Copyright Text: NOAA Marine Protected Areas Center in joint effort with the US Department of the Interior