HIFLD OPEN Wrecks and Obstructions

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) United States Department of Homeland Security; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
metadata.xml application/xml 1.4 KB 12/10/2025 10:16:AM
wrecks-and-obstructions-1-geojson.zip application/zip 1.9 MB 12/10/2025 10:12:AM
wrecks-and-obstructions-1-shapefile.zip application/zip 1.7 MB 12/10/2025 10:12:AM

Project Citation: 

United States Department of Homeland Security, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. HIFLD OPEN Wrecks and Obstructions. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2025-12-10. https://doi.org/10.3886/E241132V1

Project Description

Project Title:  View help for Project Title HIFLD OPEN Wrecks and Obstructions
Summary:  View help for Summary Shipwrecks and obstructions in the ocean have long been a hazard to navigation and construction, and points of interest to archaeologists, recreational divers, fishermen, educators, and explorers. Locating hazardous wrecks and obstructions is part of the ongoing NOAA charting process. The exact position of many wrecks is difficult to determine because of changes in the environment, varied survey methods, and human error. Some wrecks are intentionally placed in the ocean to serve as artificial reefs or for disposal. Others pose a health and environmental threat from their cargo. Ownership and control over wrecks and obstructions is governed by a collection of state and federal regulations, the Abandoned Shipwreck Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and National Marine Sanctuaries Act.

These data are a synthesis of two sources—the NOAA Office of Coast Survey’s 2016 Automated Wreck and Obstruction Information System (AWOIS), and NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC). Not included were those records that were clearly identified as natural features such as rocks, shoals, and trees. Features are recorded as either a wreck, wreck area, obstruction, or unknown. This item is curated by the MarineCadastre.gov team. Find more information at marinecadastre.gov.
Original Distribution URL:  View help for Original Distribution URL https://hifld-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com/

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms HIFLD Open; GIS; Transportation - Water
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage United States
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 6/14/2019 – 6/14/2019
Data Type(s):  View help for Data Type(s) geographic information system (GIS) data
Collection Notes:  View help for Collection Notes Archived from the HIFLD Open GIS data repository, which was deactivated on August 26, 2025.


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Published Versions

V1 [2025-12-10]

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