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    • National Marine Sanctuary Digital Boundary Files

    Metadata Updated: March 31, 2026

    NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a national network of underwater parks encompassing both marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments. Few places on the planet can compete with the diversity of the National Marine Sanctuary System, which protects America's most iconic undersea natural and cultural resources. The system works with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote responsible, sustainable ocean uses that ensure the health of our most valued ocean and Great Lake places. By investing in innovative solutions, we strengthen these iconic places to address 21st-century challenges while supporting America's commerce and tourism. These unique locations inspire people to visit, value, and steward our nation's iconic ocean and Great Lakes places.

    The legal boundaries of the national marine sanctuaries are defined within the Code of Federal Regulations, at 15 C.F.R. Part 922 and the subparts therein. The GIS compatible digital boundary files for each national marine sanctuary are representations of those legal boundaries and are based on the best available data.

    Access & Use Information

    License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

    Downloads & Resources

    Dates

    Metadata Date March 24, 2026
    Metadata Created Date October 31, 2024
    Metadata Updated Date March 31, 2026
    Reference Date(s) 2004 (publication)
    Frequency Of Update irregular

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from NOS ONMS

    Other Data Resources

    Graphic Preview

    Map depicting locations of national marine sanctuaries

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Date March 24, 2026
    Metadata Created Date October 31, 2024
    Metadata Updated Date March 31, 2026
    Reference Date(s) 2004 (publication)
    Responsible Party (Point of Contact, Custodian)
    Contact Email
    Guid gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:40112
    Access Constraints Cite As: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, [Date of Access]: National Marine Sanctuary Digital Boundary Files [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/40112., Access Constraints: None, Use Constraints: NOT FOR LEGAL USE; NOT FOR NAVIGATION Users must assume responsibility to determine the appropriate and relevant use of these data. This geospatial information is not to be used as LEGAL representations of the sanctuary boundaries. The digital boundaries were created with the most recent and accurate geospatial information available at the time of publication, but their overall extent, area, and/or proportions may change due to natural land changes along shorelines, as well as sanctuary boundary site modifications and expansions, as well as updated source data that is the basis of the boundary. Therefore, the currentness or accuracy of these digital boundaries that are provided to the public cannot be guaranteed., Distribution Liability: Users must assume responsibility to determine the appropriate and relevant use of these data. This geospatial information is not to be used as LEGAL representations of the sanctuary boundaries. The digital boundaries were created with the most recent and accurate geospatial information available at the time of publication, but their overall extent, area, and/or proportions may change due to natural land changes along shorelines, as well as sanctuary boundary site modifications and expansions, as well as updated source data that is the basis of the boundary. Therefore, the currentness or accuracy of these digital boundaries that are provided to the public cannot be guaranteed.
    Bbox East Long -70.035064
    Bbox North Lat 48.50589
    Bbox South Lat -14.373765
    Bbox West Long -180
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update irregular
    Graphic Preview Description Map depicting locations of national marine sanctuaries
    Graphic Preview File https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/media/maps/nms-system-map-1920.jpg
    Graphic Preview Type jpeg
    Harvest Object Id a3474b5b-1e3d-4823-aa0a-a99162af6ff4
    Harvest Source Id f705727e-6c56-4072-92cc-ce5c5c5b4688
    Harvest Source Title NOS ONMS
    Licence 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.
    Lineage
    Metadata Language eng
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-180.0, -14.373765], [-70.035064, -14.373765], [-70.035064, 48.50589], [-180.0, 48.50589], [-180.0, -14.373765]]]}
    Progress completed
    Spatial Data Service Type
    Spatial Reference System EPSG::4269
    Spatial Harvester True

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