The Automated Wreck and Obstruction Information System (AWOIS) was implemented to assist the Office of Coast Survey in planning hydrographic survey operations and to catalog the substantial volume of reported wrecks and obstructions considered navigational hazards within U.S. coastal waters. Providing a historical record of selected wrecks and obstructions, AWOIS is a valuable tool and information source for marine archaeologists and historians, fishermen, divers, salvage operators, and others in the marine community. However, AWOIS has limitations that should be considered by potential users. Most notably, it is not a comprehensive record of wrecks in any particular area. There are wrecks in AWOIS that do not appear on the nautical chart and there are wrecks on the nautical chart that do not appear in AWOIS. Updates to AWOIS are ongoing; however, it will never completely address every known or reported wreck. The emphasis is constantly placed on wrecks which may be a hazard to navigation. Additionally, features that have been either disproved or salvaged are not included in AWOIS.