The Portal’s data illustrating the locations of shipwrecks along the Mid-Atlantic coast has been bolstered with three new map layers, all of which can be accessed by clicking the “Wrecks and Obstructions” dropdown in the Maritime theme.
The Portal’s longstanding Wrecks and Obstructions map layer has been replaced with a new version that was first published on MarineCadastre.gov. This data layer is a synthesis of two sources: the NOAA Office of Coast Survey's 2016 Automated Wreck and Obstruction Information System (AWOIS) database, and the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC). The layer was created in 2024 to more accurately reflect the known positions of wrecks and obstructions than its predecessor, which was based only on the AWOIS.
The layer contains new symbols to differentiate the locations of obstructions, wrecks, wreck areas, and other charted features. Users can click the symbols for popups containing the names of wrecks and information about their histories, when available.
Also added were a pair of NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts Wrecks layers: a Coastal Scale map, which shows sites beyond the 3 nautical mile federal-state boundary on the continental shelf; and the Harbor Scale layer, which focuses on sites that are nearshore and within the region’s key estuaries and rivers. The layers represent the latest federal data and are updated weekly by NOAA. A close zoom is required for the wreck locations to appear in these layers.
Users also have the option of activating the Portal’s NOAA Nautical Chart basemap to view the latest wreck locations.
In concert with these updates, the Portal’s Wrecks and Obstructions Density Per OCS Lease Block layer has been retired. Plans are underway to create a new version that more accurately captures the distributions of currently known wrecks and obstructions, as charted on the ENC.