Topic
Culture & Recreation
Culture & Recreation data include the locations of select sites and areas on coastal lands and offshore that have cultural, historical, and/or recreational importance and may be relevant for ocean planning. One potential use of the data within the Culture & Recreation topic is to identify stakeholders that are using areas in the ocean for cultural and recreational purposes. In this way, the data within the Culture & Recreation topic can be viewed as a directory of groups and entities to contact prior to proposing a new or expanded ocean use in an area.
Latest Updates
30-Jun-2022: Added whale watching data for the mid-Atlantic region.
28-Apr-2021: Updated whale watching and SCUBA data in collaboration with local industry, stakeholders, and experts.
Data Providers and Sources
- Bronx River Alliance
- Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection
- Maine Dept. of Agriculture
- Maine Historic Preservation Commission
- Maine Island Trail Association
- Massachusetts Office of Fishing and Boating
- Massachusetts Historical Commission
- National Park Service
- New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
- NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Program
- NOAA Office of Coast Survey
- Point 97
- Reef Environmental Education Foundation
- Rhode Island Blueways
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
- Rhode Island Geographic Information System
- Rhode Island Historic Preservation Office
- Rhode Island Sea Grant Program
- Rivers Alliance of Connecticut
- SeaPlan
- South Shore Blueway
- Surfrider
- The Nature Conservancy
- US EPA
Subtopic
Federally Managed Natural and Historical Areas
Data within this subtopic include sites and areas listed in the National Register of Historic Places, proposed and existing National Marine Sanctuaries, National Parks, and other federally managed lands. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) was established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The NRHP database is a listing of sites (e.g., buildings, objects) and areas (e.g., large properties, districts) that have cultural or historical significance and are noteworthy for preservation.
Data Considerations
The National Register of Historic Places dataset is a compilation from state databases. Currently the map shows NRHP locations only in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. NRHP data for New Hampshire and Connecticut are not shown on the map because spatial datasets for those states are currently being developed. The NRHP sites in this dataset are from individual state databases/sources. Some NRHP sites may be missing from this dataset. However, states are working on updating their databases/datasets, and this regional dataset will be updated as states provide updates. Users must consult with appropriate State and/or Tribal Preservation Offices in the identification and evaluation of historic properties as stated under the National Preservation Act. This regional dataset compiled by Northeast Ocean Data serves as a baseline for identifying NRHP; users must confirm with appropriate State and/or Tribal Preservation Offices for official listings under the National Register of Historic Places. For more information and current listings of NRHP, please be directed to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places website.
Status
NRHP data were current as of 2015. Other datasets within this subtopic were reviewed in 2024 and 2025.
Examples of Data
- National Park Service Boundaries
- National Register of Historic Places: Sites and Landmarks
- National Register of Historic Places: Districts and Properties
- Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
- Hudson Canyon Proposed National Marine Sanctuary Reference Area
- National Estuarine Research Reserve System
- USFWS National Realty Tracts
Subtopic
Tribes
This subtopic currently includes a layer that shows Federally Recognized Tribal Locations.
Status
The NROC Tribal Caucus will consider and review data within this subtopic.
Subtopic
Secured Lands
Data in this subtopic are a subset of The Nature Conservancy’s 2018 Secured Lands dataset (publicly downloadable external version), including State Forests, Lands, and Parks within ten kilometers of the coastline from Maine to New York. The complete version of the Secured Lands dataset is available at http://nature.ly/securedareas with a detailed report and additional information. The Secured Lands dataset shows public lands, private lands, and waters secured by a conservation situation that includes an explicit level of security from future conversion and current incompatible uses.
Data Considerations
The Nature Conservancy strives for its Secured Lands dataset to include all permanently protected lands in the eastern 18 U.S. states. The dataset is compiled annually from over sixty sources. For the most part, it is a combination of public land information maintained by each state, and private conservation land information compiled by The Nature Conservancy’s state field offices. Please see metadata for more information. Please be advised that not all sites found in The Nature Conservancy’s Secured Lands dataset and the dataset provided on the Northeast Ocean Data Portal are publicly accessible.
Status
Final dataset leverages a 2018 database from The Nature Conservancy; reviewed in 2025.
Examples of Data
- Secured Lands – Federal
- Secured Lands – State
- Secured Lands – Local
- Secured Lands – Private
- Secured Lands – Other
- Secured Lands – By Designation
Subtopic
Boating
The Boating map depicts activity areas mapped through two separate but related studies. Recreational Boating Density and Recreational Boater Routes result from the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey conducted by SeaPlan, the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), states’ coastal agencies, marine trade associations composed of many private industry representatives, and the U.S. Coast Guard First District. Distance Sailing Races were characterized as part of the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study which was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body.
Data Considerations
Both a random and a supplemental sample of Northeast boaters plotted their boating routes throughout the 2012 boating season using an online mapping application. The density map is derived using only the random sample of survey participants and is intended to show the relative density of boating activity throughout the region using a scale from high (red) to low (green). Areas showing low or no activity does not necessarily mean they are not used for recreational purposes. According to the results of the survey, these areas are likely less trafficked than other areas. Distance sailing race routes were mapped through a combination of online research, existing datasets such as the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (RI OSAMP), and industry expert data mapping and vetting. This dataset is believed to represent all known and believed-to-be recurring offshore distance sailing races in the region, as defined by the scope of this study. This study defined a distance sailing race as an offshore race starting at one port and ending in another, or an offshore race which begins at a port, has a turning point at a single location, and ends at the same port. This dataset is not intended to capture the spatial footprint of buoy races, which typically take place closer to shore and whose courses include sailing around courses comprised of buoys or other navigational markers. The lines depicting these races are highly generalized to reflect an approximate route between the start and end locations, based on course instructions, information from industry experts, and data from race tracking software. There can be a large spread of boat routes associated with any one race and these lines are meant to depict a general midpoint of activity and as such, this dataset is intended to be depicted at a regional scale. Actual sailing routes vary depending on winds and other environmental conditions, meaning that races depicted on a large (i.e., zoomed-in) scale may not provide a precise depiction of the actual race activity.
Status
These are final data products, representing the results from a 2012 recreational boater survey.
Examples of Data
- Recreational boating density
- Recreational boater routes
- Distance sailing races
Subtopic
Whale Watching
Whale watching layers depicts areas mapped by whale watch industry experts in 2020, using the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study (conducted in 2015 by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body) as a starting point. Whale watch owners, operators, naturalists, and data managers attended multiple webinars to review and discuss updates to the original data to best depict where whale watching takes place in the region, while also providing information about seasonality, species, and overall industry trends. Experts generally sought to depict whale watching activity in the last decade (2010-2020) by highlighting areas of general use, dominant use, supplemental areas, and transit routes. RI Ocean Special Area Management Plan areas were mapped as part of the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management plan and are symbolized separately to reflect different data collection methodologies.
Data Considerations
This map also shows the locations of whale watching entities in the region who have been invited to participate in data development and review. Clicking on the point locations will reveal the name of the entity, its location, and website URL. Users are encouraged to consult the metadata for additional details.
Status
These are final data products, representing the results of an expert working group in 2020.
Examples of Data
- Commercial Whale Watching Areas
- Whale Watching Locations
Subtopic
SCUBA
SCUBA diving data were collected through several methods which include outreach to the SCUBA diving community and mining existing data sources. Data were initially collected as part of the Northeast Coastal and Marine Recreational Use Characterization Study which was conducted by SeaPlan, the Surfrider Foundation, and Point 97 under the direction of the Northeast Regional Planning Body from 2014-2016. Additional dive site data from the REEF voluntary fish survey were added in 2021 and updated in 2023.
Data Considerations
This map depicts generally well-known SCUBA diving areas, such as wrecks, artificial reefs, and other marine habitats, as mapped by SCUBA diving experts and locations identified in online and published SCUBA guides and associated literature. While the dataset is thought to provide a thorough representation of where SCUBA diving is likely to take place in the region, it does not purport to represent the location of every location where SCUBA diving could take place. While man-made structures, such as wrecks and artificial reefs are finite in number, there are additional, enumerable sites that, while important to divers, may lack specific boundaries and which might not be known by many divers. Some locations have been buffered to address data confidentiality and site sensitivity concerns.
Status
These are final data products, representing data compiled in the early 2020s.
Examples of Data
- Recreational SCUBA Diving Areas
- REEF Dive Sites and Reports