Description: A no discharge zone (NDZ) is an area in which both treated and untreated sewage discharges from vessels are prohibited. Within NDZ boundaries, vessel operators are required to retain their sewage discharges onboard for disposal at sea (beyond three miles from shore) or onshore at a pump-out facility.
Description: The MPA (Marine Protected Area) Inventory is a comprehensive catalog that provides detailed information for existing marine protected areas in the United States. The inventory provides geospatial boundary information (in polygon format) and classification attributes that seek to define the conservation objectives, protection level, governance and related management criteria for all sites in the database. The comprehensive inventory of federal, state and territorial MPA sites provides governments and stakeholders with access to information to make better decisions about the current and future use of place-based conservation. The information also will be used to inform the development of the national system of marine protected areas as required by Executive Order 13158.
Copyright Text: NOAA Marine Protected Areas Center in joint effort with the US Department of the Interior
Description: National Estuarine Research Reserve System sites are 28 protected areas established by partnerships between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and coastal states. The reserves represent different biogeographic regions of the United States.
Description: U.S. 111th Congressional Districts represents the political boundaries for the U.S. 111th congressional districts. The membership is current as of February 25, 2009.