Digital Maritime Zones and National Digital Maritime Zones and National Baseline Baseline

on NOAA’s Nautical Chartson NOAA’s Nautical ChartsMeredith WestingtonMeredith Westington

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey

Contiguous Zone(shown at 12nm prior to 1999)

Exclusive Economic Zone

Three Nautical Mile Line

Territorial Sea

Snapshot of chart 18740, 40th edition

Territorial SeaTerritorial Sea

Territorial Sea

Snapshot of chart 18740, 40th edition

Area of sovereigntyArea of sovereignty

Innocent passageInnocent passage

Outer extent moved Outer extent moved from 3 to 12 nautical from 3 to 12 nautical miles through miles through Presidential Presidential Proclamation in 1988Proclamation in 1988

Contiguous ZoneContiguous Zone

Contiguous Zone(shown at 12nm prior to 1999)

Snapshot of chart 18740, 40th edition

Zone is contiguous to the Zone is contiguous to the territorial seaterritorial sea

Coastal state can Coastal state can exercise control exercise control necessary to protect necessary to protect infringement of the infringement of the following regulations:following regulations:• CustomsCustoms• FiscalFiscal• ImmigrationImmigration• SanitarySanitary

Outer extent moved from Outer extent moved from 12 to 24 nautical miles 12 to 24 nautical miles through Presidential through Presidential Proclamation in 1999Proclamation in 1999

Exclusive Economic ZoneExclusive Economic Zone

EEZ(maritime boundary with Mexico)

Snapshot of chart 18740, 40th edition

Zone is contiguous to the Zone is contiguous to the territorial seaterritorial sea

Outer limit cannot Outer limit cannot exceed 200 nautical exceed 200 nautical miles from the baseline miles from the baseline from which the territorial from which the territorial sea is measuredsea is measured

Sovereign rights and Sovereign rights and jurisdiction over EEZ jurisdiction over EEZ resources and activitiesresources and activities

Respect rights of Respect rights of navigation and over flight navigation and over flight consistent with consistent with international lawinternational law

EEZ declared through EEZ declared through Presidential Proclamation Presidential Proclamation in 1983in 1983

Three Nautical Mile LineThree Nautical Mile Line

Three Nautical Mile Line

Snapshot of chart 18740, 40th edition

Outer limit of the territorial Outer limit of the territorial sea prior to 1988 sea prior to 1988 Presidential ProclamationPresidential Proclamation

Ambulatory line projected 3 Ambulatory line projected 3 nautical miles from the nautical miles from the baseline from which the baseline from which the territorial sea is measuredterritorial sea is measured

Not necessarily the same as Not necessarily the same as the Submerged Lands Act the Submerged Lands Act federal/state boundaryfederal/state boundary

Used for federal fisheries, Used for federal fisheries, water quality, and other water quality, and other laws or regulationslaws or regulations

May be used by U.S. states May be used by U.S. states to regulate lawsto regulate laws

Law of the SeaLaw of the Sea

Guidelines for Guidelines for delimiting the delimiting the maritime zonesmaritime zones

Articles set forth Articles set forth criteria for criteria for determining the determining the “baseline”“baseline”

Normal BaselineNormal Baseline

Low-water line along the coast as marked on large-scale, officially recognized charts.

Contributing Baseline Points

Created: August 7, 1970Created: August 7, 1970

Purpose: To provide an interagency forum to discuss and Purpose: To provide an interagency forum to discuss and make determinations on all questions relating to the official make determinations on all questions relating to the official delimitation of the U.S. Coastline delimitation of the U.S. Coastline

Chaired by the Department of State with representatives Chaired by the Department of State with representatives fromfrom• Department of Commerce (NOAA)Department of Commerce (NOAA)• Department of JusticeDepartment of Justice• Department of Interior (MMS, FWS)Department of Interior (MMS, FWS)• Department of Homeland Security (USCG)Department of Homeland Security (USCG)• Department of NavyDepartment of Navy• Department of Defense (NGA)Department of Defense (NGA)• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)• Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission

U.S. Baseline CommitteeU.S. Baseline Committee

Evaluating the BaselineEvaluating the Baseline Low-tide elevationsLow-tide elevations- -

naturally formed naturally formed features must be dry at low tide (Article 13)

Permanent harborworksPermanent harborworks- - features must form an integral part of the harbor system (no artificial islands- Article 11)

Bay closing lines-Bay closing lines- well-marked indentations of the land that meet several tests can be closed with a straight line (normal baseline only- Article 10)

Baseline vs CoastlineBaseline vs Coastline

3nm Line drawn from baseline

with jetty

3nm Line without jetty

Caris’ Law of the Sea: Limits & Caris’ Law of the Sea: Limits & BoundariesBoundaries

Envelope of ArcsEnvelope of Arcs To retrieve the contributing baseline points and limit line To retrieve the contributing baseline points and limit line

(ex. Gardner Pinnacles, NWHI) (ex. Gardner Pinnacles, NWHI)

Vector LWL

Contributing Baseline Points

Vector LWL

Contributing Baseline Points

THREE NAUTICAL MILE LIMIT

Updates to Paper/Raster Nautical Updates to Paper/Raster Nautical ChartsCharts

THEN-THEN- Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone are both projected 12 nautical miles from baseline

NOW-NOW- Territorial Sea at 12 nautical miles and Contiguous Zone at 24 nautical miles from baseline

Availability on the WebAvailability on the WebEEZ is Available Now!EEZ is Available Now!EEZ is Available Now!EEZ is Available Now!

NEW Maritime Limits Website!NEW Maritime Limits Website!http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/mbound.htmhttp://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/mbound.htm

http://http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/eez.htmnauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/eez.htmAvailable in shp and dbf Available in shp and dbf formatsformats

Created from CARIS software and provided in shapefile Created from CARIS software and provided in shapefile formatformat

Credit: FWC

ENC equivalent to chart 11363 (Louisiana)

ENC equivalent to chart 11353

NOAA Electronic Navigational ChartsNOAA Electronic Navigational Charts

The area covered by an NOAA ENC is referred to as a "cell." At present, each NOAA ENC cell corresponds to the largest scale paper chart in a given area. As the NOAA ENC begins to contain more detail and the file sizes get larger, it may become necessary to split the cells into smaller areas

Created in dKart’s dkLook (free chart viewer)

http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/download.htmhttp://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/download.htm

Two Methods of downloading ENCs for NavigationTwo Methods of downloading ENCs for Navigation

ENCs: Free Internet DownloadENCs: Free Internet Download

Territorial Sea in ENCs:Territorial Sea in ENCs:Depiction of Zone at West Coast of Depiction of Zone at West Coast of

FloridaFlorida

Territorial Sea in ENCs:Territorial Sea in ENCs:Depiction of Inner Limit at West Coast of Depiction of Inner Limit at West Coast of

FloridaFlorida

ENC Symbology for “Territorial Sea Area” – black dashed line

ENC Symbology for COLREGS demarcation line – magenta dashed line

SummarySummaryENC downloadsENC downloads

http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/download.htmhttp://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/enc/download.htm

Exclusive Economic ZoneExclusive Economic Zonehttp://http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/eez.htmnauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/eez.htm

Maritime LimitsMaritime Limitshttp://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/mbound.htmhttp://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/csdl/mbound.htm