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There is an area of shallow water extending beyond the shoreline for some distance. At some point, the dropoff becomes very steep; this is the boundary of the continental shelf.

For legal purposes, a depth of 600 feet is considered the edge of the shelf. On the eastern coast of North America, the shelf extends a great distance. Along the west coast, the shelf is almost non-existent; the water drops off to abyssal depths very close to shore.

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16y ago

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