USA Shipping Zones

Various shipping zones delineate activities and regulations for marine vessel traffic. Traffic lanes define specific traffic flow, while traffic separation zones assist opposing streams of marine traffic. Precautionary areas represent areas where ships must navigate with caution, and shipping safety fairways designate where artificial structures are prohibited. Recommended Routes are predetermined routes for shipping adopted for reasons of safety. Along certain zones of the East Coast of the United States, ships are also required to report vessel location within designated endangered species areas, such as the North Atlantic right whale. Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas need special protection because of their vulnerability to damage by international maritime activities. Areas to be Avoided are within defined limits where navigation is particularly hazardous or it is exceptionally important to avoid casualties and should be avoided by all ships or certain classes of ships. Area to be Avoided: These areas are limited with respect to the kinds of vessels or actions required to be taken by those vessels. These restricted areas include national marine sanctuaries, particularly sensitive seas, and critical habitats. An area to be avoided or ATBA is a ships’ routing measure that comprises an area within defined limits in which either navigation is particularly hazardous or it is exceptionally important to avoid casualties and should be avoided by all ships or certain classes of ships. Mandatory Ship Reporting for Protection of Right Whales: A mandatory ship reporting may be adopted by International Maritime Organization (IMO) to contribute to the safety of life at sea, the safety and efficiency of navigation and/or the protection of the marine environment. In such areas, ships are required to report in to a shore-based authority and such authority shall have the capability of interaction with participating ships. Particularly Sensitive Sea Area: Designation of a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) is a comprehensive management tool at the international level for reviewing attributes within an area that are vulnerable to damage by international shipping and for determining the most appropriate protective measures available. Precautionary Area: A routing measure comprising an area within defined limits where vessels must navigate with particular caution and within which the direction of traffic flow may be recommended. Recommended Shipping Routes: NOAA established the recommended vessel routes to reduce the likelihood of ship collisions in key right whale habitats. It means a route of undefined width, for the convenience of vessels in transit, which is often marked by center-line buoys. Separation Zone: A mile-wide zone or line separating the traffic lanes in which vessels are proceeding in opposite or nearly opposite directions; or from the adjacent sea area; or separating traffic lanes designated for particular classes of vessels proceeding in the same direction. Shipping Safety Fairways: Shipping fairways data means a lane or corridor in which no artificial island or structure, whether temporary or permanent, will be permitted so that vessels using US ports will have unobstructed approaches. Inshore Traffic Lane or Zone: A routing measure comprising a designated area between the landward boundary of a traffic separation scheme and the adjacent coast. Dataset Summary The data for this layer were obtained from NOAA's Coastal Services Center ftp website (ftp://ftp.csc.noaa.gov/pub/MSP/) and is updated regularly. The polygon features in this layer contain attributes for the type of lane or zone. [Link to source metadata] What can you do with this layer? This layer is a feature service, which means it can be used for visualization and analysis throughout the ArcGIS Platform. This layer is not editable.