In 1879, Congress established the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as a scientific research organization and charged it with conducting an “examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain.” In 1962, these examinations were extended to the marine realm when Congress appropriated funds for offshore investigations by the USGS. On March 10, 1983, by proclamation of then-President Ronald Reagan, the United States claimed sovereign rights and jurisdiction within an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The United States assumed responsibility for the wise management of marine resources and for protection of the marine environment in the EEZ.

The EEZ of the United States is a vast frontier that extends seaward from 3 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles from the coast and brings within the national domain over 3.3 million square nautical miles of submarine lands, an area 30 percent larger than the total onshore area of the United States. With over 50 percent of this country's population clustered along our coasts, the adjacent ocean and ocean floor have become an integral part of the nation's land area to manage, use, and protect.

The rise of the United States to the status of a world power was made possible in part by exploitation of this country's natural resources. As a nation, we have never enjoyed full self-sufficiency in all raw materials that we require, and our growth has been accompanied by the often wasteful use of resources that many believed to be unlimited in quantity.