Bay of Mali Ston
Encyclopedia
Bay of Mali Ston is a bay
in the Adriatic Sea
. The bay is located in Croatia
's and partly in Bosnia and Herzegovina
's territorial waters.
The maritime boundary
between the two countries is an equidistant line between the Pelješac
peninsula of Croatia in the southwest and the Klek peninsula of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the northeast. The bay constitutes Bosnia and Herzegovina's only coastline. Part of the bay also separates Pelješac from the Croatian "mainland".
The bay is named after the village of Mali Ston
(near Ston
). Its southernmost point is at the isthmus
of the Pelješac peninsula, while its mouth is located at the point where the peninsula turns westwards, away from the Neretva
river delta.
The bay is used for mariculture
, mostly oyster
s and mussel
s. In the 1980s, the bay's production was at an average up to two million of oysters and 3,000 tonnes of mussels, accounting for 60% of the Croatian oyster production. The facilities were however gravely damaged by the Croatian War of Independence
.
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
in the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. The bay is located in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
's and partly in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
's territorial waters.
The maritime boundary
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
between the two countries is an equidistant line between the Pelješac
Pelješac
Pelješac is a peninsula in southern Dalmatia in Croatia. The peninsula is part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and is the second largest peninsula in Croatia...
peninsula of Croatia in the southwest and the Klek peninsula of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the northeast. The bay constitutes Bosnia and Herzegovina's only coastline. Part of the bay also separates Pelješac from the Croatian "mainland".
The bay is named after the village of Mali Ston
Mali Ston
Mali Ston is a village in Croatia. It is connected by the D414 highway. The name means Little Ston, and it is located at the tip of the eponymous Bay of Mali Ston.-References:...
(near Ston
Ston
Ston is a village and municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located at the south of isthmus of the Pelješac peninsula. The town of Ston is the center of the Ston municipality.- Demographics :...
). Its southernmost point is at the isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
of the Pelješac peninsula, while its mouth is located at the point where the peninsula turns westwards, away from the Neretva
Neretva
Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. It has been harnessed and controlled to a large extent by four HE power-plants with large dams and their storage lakes, but it is still recognized for its natural beauty, diversity of its landscape and visual...
river delta.
The bay is used for mariculture
Mariculture
Mariculture is a specialized branch of aquaculture involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other products in the open ocean, an enclosed section of the ocean, or in tanks, ponds or raceways which are filled with seawater. An example of the latter is the farming of marine fish,...
, mostly oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s and mussel
Mediterranean mussel
The Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, also known as the bay mussel, blue mussel or Mittelmeer-Miesmuschel is a species of bivalve. It is a marine mollusc in the family Mytilidae.-Distribution:...
s. In the 1980s, the bay's production was at an average up to two million of oysters and 3,000 tonnes of mussels, accounting for 60% of the Croatian oyster production. The facilities were however gravely damaged by the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
.