Washington, D.C. – December 29, 2023
The United States is poised to claim an expanded ocean territory, surpassing an area twice the size of California, with significant portions in the Arctic Ocean and the central Bering Sea. The U.S. State Department recently unveiled the results of a comprehensive two-decade program aimed at mapping the extended continental shelf areas beyond the nation’s existing 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
This ambitious mapping initiative, focusing extensively on the Arctic Ocean, has uncovered a vast area with intricate seafloor features, including canyons, ridges, and deep-sea plateaus. The findings indicate that the United States is entitled to an additional 987,700 square kilometers, equivalent to double the size of California. Of this, 520,400 square kilometers are in the Arctic Ocean, extending beyond Alaska’s North Slope, while an additional 176,330 square kilometers form a triangular section in the Bering Sea near the U.S.-Russia maritime border.
The mapping project, conducted over decades by agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey, serves as the foundation for a formal claim to be presented on the international stage, emphasizing the nation’s rights to conserve and manage resources in these extended continental shelf (ECS) areas.
The U.S. Senate’s failure to ratify the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the treaty that adjudicates such claims, presents a challenge. Nevertheless, the State Department is moving forward with the assertion of sovereignty, albeit with limitations on the ability to defend claims and counter challenges without Senate ratification.
The extended continental shelf, now better understood due to the mapping initiative, holds economic and regulatory promise. The U.S. ECS claim could potentially facilitate resource extraction and the proper placement of long-distance fiber-optic connections. Moreover, U.S. sovereignty in the region would provide the authority to regulate and inspect research vessels from other nations operating in the area.
While the U.S. mapping effort largely avoids contentious maritime borders, potential overlaps with Canada’s claims in the Arctic may require resolution in the future. As climate change opens up Arctic waters to increased activity, there is growing recognition of the strategic importance of U.S. participation in the Law of the Sea treaty. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a proponent of treaty ratification, believes that tangible benefits resulting from the ECS claim might influence her colleagues, fostering a more receptive environment for the treaty’s approval.
