The U.S. State Department today announced the release of geographic coordinates defining the outer limits of the U.S. continental shelf in areas beyond 200 nautical miles from the coast (extended continental shelf), calling it the result of “the largest offshore mapping effort ever conducted by the United States.”
Noting that under international law the United States has rights to conserve and manage resources and habitat in this area, the announcement also said that the U.S. extended continental shelf area is ~1 million sq. km. across seven regions, and that it holds resources including corals and crabs as well as marine life habitat.
