Massachusetts Coastal Dive Sites from Recreational and Archaeological Sources

Coastal Massachusetts dive sites include reefs, wrecks, jetties, and breakwaters popular for SCUBA diving. Data points were compiled by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management from the Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources and dive club listings. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management updated this layer on July 2, 2007.

Use Cases

• Map site_type (reef, wreck, jetty, breakwater) distribution along the Massachusetts coast for recreational planning.
• Analyze spatial clustering of popular dive locations relative to coastal population centers.
• Overlay point locations with marine protected areas or shipping lanes for conflict assessment.
• Use generalized site coordinates as a reference layer for marine habitat or archaeological studies.

Strengths

• Data compiled from an authoritative state archaeological board (BUAR).
• Includes multiple site types: reefs, wrecks, jetties, and breakwaters.
• Explicitly updated on a known date (July 2, 2007).

Limitations

• Site locations are generalized and not suitable for navigation or dive planning.
• The list is not exhaustive, missing potentially significant sites.
• Data is temporally stale, last updated in 2007.

Provenance

Source

Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources (BUAR), dive clubs, commercial diving outfitters.

Collection Method

Compiled from BUAR records and web searches of group listings.

Time Range

Data reflects status as of 2007.

Freshness

Single update on July 2, 2007; no stated update frequency.

Geography

Coastal waters of Massachusetts, USA.