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The Abandoned Shipwreck Act is the U.S.'s federal act of preservation

in 1988 three categories of abandoned shipwrecks:

1. abandoned shipwrecks embedded in a State's submerged lands
2. abandoned shipwrecks embedded in coralline formations protected by a State on its submerged lands;
3. abandoned shipwrecks located on a State's submerged lands and included in or determined eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places

were claimed by the government. After this, the U.S. transferred the titles to the majority of those shipwrecks in their respective States to manage. The government retained its title to shipwrecks located in or on public lands while Indian tribes hold title to shipwrecks located in or on Indian lands.

The "Abandoned Shipwreck Act Guidelines" provide advice to the States and Federal agencies on how to effectively manage shipwrecks in waters under their ownership or control. The basic components of a shipwreck management program are to:

(a) Locate and identify shipwrecks;

(b) Determine which shipwrecks are abandoned and meet the criteria for assuming title under the Abandoned Shipwreck Act;

(c) Determine which shipwrecks are historic;

(d) Identify recreational and other values that a shipwreck may possess and the shipwreck's current and potential uses;

(e) Provide for the long-term protection of historic shipwrecks;

(f) Protect the rights of owners of non-abandoned shipwrecks;

(g) Consult and maintain a cooperative relationship with the various shipwreck interest groups;

(h) Cooperate with State and Federal agencies and sovereign nations having an interest in shipwreck management;

(i) Provide sport divers with reasonable access to explore shipwrecks;

(j) Provide for public appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment of shipwrecks and maritime history;

(k) Conduct archeological research on shipwrecks where research will yield information important to understanding the past;

(l) Provide for private sector participation in shipwreck research projects; and

(m) Provide for commercial salvage and other private sector recovery of shipwrecks when such activities are in the public interest. 2