OCS Area Polygons

These polygon features represent the areas comprising the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) as defined by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). In the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), the term "Outer Continental Shelf" is defined as "(1) all submerged lands lying seaward and outside of the area of lands beneath navigable waters as defined in the Submerged Lands Act, and of which the subsoil and seabed appertain to the United States and are subject to its jurisdiction and control or within the exclusive economic zone of the United States and adjacent to any territory of the United States; and (2) does not include any area conveyed by Congress to a territorial government for administration (43 USC 1331). Under international law, the continental shelf extends to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to 200nm from the baseline, whichever is greater. Where the outer edge of the continental margin extends beyond 200 nm from the baseline, the outer limits of the continental shelf are determined in accordance with Article 76 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The outer limits of the U.S. continental shelf, in areas beyond 200 nm, are established by the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) Project led by the Department of State, the Department of the Interior, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These data are not NOT an OFFICIAL record of exact boundaries and should be used for cartographic purposes only. These data should not be used to calculate areas.

本多边形要素所表征的区域为美国海洋能源管理局（Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, BOEM）所定义的美国外大陆架（Outer Continental Shelf, OCS）范围。根据《外大陆架土地法》（Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, OCSLA），“外大陆架”的定义为：(1) 所有位于《水下土地法》中定义的通航水域下方土地范围向海外侧的淹没土地，其底土与海床归属美国并受美国管辖与控制，或位于美国专属经济区内且毗邻美国任何领土；(2) 不包含国会移交领土政府管理的区域（美国联邦法典第43卷第1331条）。
根据国际法，大陆架延伸至大陆边缘的外缘，或至基线起算200海里海域，以二者中范围更大者为准。若大陆边缘外缘超出基线起算200海里范围，则大陆架外部界限需依照1982年《联合国海洋法公约》第七十六条确定。
美国外大陆架延伸（Extended Continental Shelf, ECS）项目由美国国务院、内政部以及国家海洋和大气管理局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA）牵头实施，负责划定200海里以外区域的美国大陆架外部界限。
本数据并非官方的精确边界记录，仅可用于制图用途，不得用于面积计算。