Bothnian Bay
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The Bothnian Bay or Bay of Bothnia (; ) is the northernmost part of the
Gulf of Bothnia The Gulf of Bothnia (; fi, Pohjanlahti; sv, Bottniska viken) is divided into the Bothnian Bay and Bothnian Sea, and it is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea, between Finland's west coast ( East Bothnia) and the Sweden's east coast (West ...
, which is in turn the northern part of the
Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
. The land holding the bay is still rising after the weight of ice-age
glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
s has been removed, and within 2,000 years the bay will be a large freshwater lake since its link to the south
Kvarken Kvarken ( sv, Kvarken, Norra Kvarken (as opposed to South Kvarken); ) is the narrow region of the Gulf of Bothnia separating the Bothnian Bay (the inner part of the gulf) from the Bothnian Sea. The distance from the Swedish mainland to the Finn ...
is mostly less than deep. The bay today is fed by several large rivers, and is relatively unaffected by
tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide t ...
s, so has low
salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal ...
. It freezes each year for up to six months. Compared to other parts of the Baltic it has little plant or animal life.


Extent

The bay is divided from the
Bothnian Sea The Bothnian Sea ( sv, Bottenhavet; fi, Selkämeri) links the Bothnian Bay (also called the Bay of Bothnia) with the Baltic proper. Kvarken is situated between the two. Together, the Bothnian Sea and Bay make up a larger geographical entity, t ...
, the southern part of the Gulf of Bothnia, by the Northern Quark (
Kvarken Kvarken ( sv, Kvarken, Norra Kvarken (as opposed to South Kvarken); ) is the narrow region of the Gulf of Bothnia separating the Bothnian Bay (the inner part of the gulf) from the Bothnian Sea. The distance from the Swedish mainland to the Finn ...
) strait. The Northern Quark has a greatest depth of , with two ridges that are just deep. It lies between a group of islands off
Vaasa Vaasa (; sv, Vasa, , Sweden ), in the years 1855–1917 as Nikolainkaupunki ( sv, Nikolajstad; literally meaning "city of Nicholas),
in Finland and another group at
Holmöarna Holmöarna (Swedish, literally ''the islet islands'') is an island group in the Kvarken narrows of the Gulf of Bothnia between Sweden and Finland. The islands form part of Umeå Municipality in Västerbotten County. The islands have 75 year-round in ...
in Sweden. The bay is bounded by
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
to the east and
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
to the west. The bay is asymmetric, with a smoother and shallower bottom slope on the Finnish side, and a deeper bottom with a steeper and more rugged coast on the Swedish side. The Bothnian Bay has a catchment area of . Of this, 56% lies in Finland, 44% in Sweden and less than 1% in Norway. The catchment contains about of forest, split roughly equally between Sweden and Finland. The average depth is . The Luleå Deep is the deepest part of the bay, at , southeast of the town of Luleå. On the Finnish side the average depth is . The deepest part is near the island of
Lönkytin Lönkytin is an island in the Finland, Finnish sector of the Bay of Bothnia, off shore from the town of Haukipudas. Description Lönkytin is a high, rocky islet. It is located about west-northwest of the mouth of the Kiiminkijoki river, to the e ...
, with a depth of . File:Bottenviken.png, Map of the Gulf of Bothnia showing location of Bothnian Bay (shaded and labelled Bottenviken) File:Bothnian Bay map-fi.png, Finnish map of the bay – click to enlarge File:Scandinavia M2002074 lrg.jpg, Satellite image of
Fennoscandia __NOTOC__ Fennoscandia (Finnish language, Finnish, Swedish language, Swedish and no, Fennoskandia, nocat=1; russian: Фенноскандия, Fennoskandiya) or the Fennoscandian Peninsula is the geographical peninsula in Europe, which includes ...
with
sea ice Sea ice arises as seawater freezes. Because ice is less dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface (as does fresh water ice, which has an even lower density). Sea ice covers about 7% of the Earth's surface and about 12% of the world's oce ...
covering the Bothnian Bay (white region in center)


Isostatic rebound

The bay lies in the area in Northern Europe where the ice was at its thickest during the last ice age. The Bay of Bothnia was under ice until the " Ancylus Lake" period (7500–6000 BC), when the ice sheet withdrew to the mountains of Northern Scandinavia. The land is now rising by
post-glacial rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound a ...
at the highest rate in the Baltic Sea, at an estimated rate of a year. Today the Bothnian Bay lies around higher than it did at the end of the
Ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
. The local population has seen the sea retreating during their lifetimes from piers and boathouses, leaving them stranded on land. Some former islands such as
Porsön Porsön is a peninsula and residential area in Luleå, Sweden. It had 5,476 inhabitants in 2010 and is home to a large number of students. Luleå University of Technology Luleå University of Technology is a Public Research University in Norrb ...
and
Hertsön Hertsön is a Swedish island in the Bothnian Bay, largely occupied by the eastern districts of the city of Luleå. Due to post-glacial rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masse ...
near the city of
Luleå Luleå ( , , locally ; smj, Luleju; fi, Luulaja) is a city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban core (2018) and is the seat of Lu ...
are still called islands, but are now connected to the mainland. The maximum depth at the
Kvarken Kvarken ( sv, Kvarken, Norra Kvarken (as opposed to South Kvarken); ) is the narrow region of the Gulf of Bothnia separating the Bothnian Bay (the inner part of the gulf) from the Bothnian Sea. The distance from the Swedish mainland to the Finn ...
sound today is around . In not less 2,000 years the exit from the bay at Kvarken will be raised above sea level, which will result in it becoming Europe's largest lake.


Hydrology

The Bothnian Bay has a harsher environment than other parts of the greater Baltic Sea. The bay is ice-covered for 110 to 190 days each year. Tides have little effect, but high winds driving the water from the south or north may cause the water level to rise or fall by . Major rivers that flow into the bay include: The salinity is only about 0.2 psu in the northern part of the bay, dropping almost to zero in some of the archipelagos with large river inflows. The low salinity and cold temperatures in winter results in ice that is considerably stronger than more saline or warmer ice.


Islands

If an
island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
is defined as an area of land more than that is surrounded by water, the Bay of Bothnia has 4,001 islands. The largest island is
Hailuoto Hailuoto (; sv, Karlö) is a Finnish island in the northern Baltic Sea and a municipality in Northern Ostrobothnia region. The population of Hailuoto is (), which make it the smallest municipality in Northern Ostrobothnia and the former Oulu Pr ...
. The north of the bay contains a large archipelago area. The Swedish portion of this area is the
Norrbotten archipelago The Norrbotten archipelago ( sv, Norrbotten skärgård) is a group of Swedish islands in the north part of the Bay of Bothnia. A few of the islands have small permanent populations, but most are used only for recreation in the summer months. They a ...
. This is divided into the Piteå,
Luleå Luleå ( , , locally ; smj, Luleju; fi, Luulaja) is a city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban core (2018) and is the seat of Lu ...
,
Kalix Kalix ( sv, Kalix; Kalix dialect: ''Kôlis'', , phonemically ; fi, Kainuu; fit, Kainus) is a locality and the seat of the Kalix Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The name Kalix is believed to originate from the Sami word ''Gáláse ...
and Haparanda archipelagos. Many of the islands are uninhabited and in a natural state. In the winter the larger islands may be accessed via ice roads. Some of them are inhabited or have seasonal fishing villages used by people from the mainland. The Swedish
Haparanda Archipelago National Park Haparanda Archipelago National Park ( sv, Haparanda skärgårds nationalpark) is a national park in Haparanda Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden. The park covers part of the Haparanda archipelago in the northeast of the Bothnian Bay near ...
( sv, Haparanda skärgårds nationalpark) occupies the Haparanda group of islands, bordering the Finnish
Bothnian Bay National Park Bothnian Bay National Park ( fi, Perämeren kansallispuisto, sv, Bottenvikens nationalpark) is a national park in Lapland, Finland. The park which was established in 1991, covers of which is on land. It is maintained by Metsähallitus. The i ...
. It includes the larger islands of
Sandskär Sandskär is an island in the northeast of the Swedish sector of the Bay of Bothnia. Once used as a base for fishing and sealing, it is now part of a national park. Location Sandskär is the largest island in the Haparanda Archipelago National P ...
and
Seskar Furö Seskar Furö is an uninhabited island in the northeast of the Swedish sector of the Bay of Bothnia. It is now part of a national park. Location Seskar Furö is the second largest island in the Haparanda Archipelago National Park ( sv, Haparanda ...
, and some smaller islands and skerries. All of these islands have emerged in the last 1,500 years as the bed of the bay has risen. The Bay of Bothnia National Park in the Finnish section ( fi, Perämeren kansallispuisto, sv, Bottenvikens nationalpark), established in 1991, is located in the archipelago offshore from
Tornio Tornio (; sv, Torneå; sme, Duortnus ; smn, Tuárnus) is a city and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The city forms a cross-border twin city together with Haparanda on the Swedish side. The municipality covers an area of , of which is ...
and
Kemi Kemi (; sme, Giepma ; smn, Kiemâ; sms, Ǩeeʹmm; Swedish (historically): ''Kiemi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is to the south and to Rovani ...
. It covers of which about is land.


Climate

The immediate coastal areas of the Bothnian Bay tend to be bordering between
humid continental A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
and
subarctic The subarctic zone is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic, north of humid continental regions and covering much of Alaska, Canada, Iceland, the north of Scandinavia, Siberia, and the Cairngorms. Generally, ...
climates. The summers on the coastlines are the northernmost coastlines to average above in summer. In winter the sea freezes over, many times completely. This means that there is vast
seasonal lag Seasonal lag is the phenomenon whereby the date of maximum average air temperature at a geographical location on a planet is delayed until some time after the date of maximum insolation (i.e. the summer solstice). This also applies to the minim ...
offshore such as on the island of
Rödkallen Rödkallen is a small uninhabited (summer cabins are in use) Swedish island and lighthouse station located in the Bothnian Bay in the south part of Luleå archipelago. The island was used by fishermen a long time before the lighthouse was built. I ...
on the Swedish side. Due to the mild nature of summers and the low diurnals, offshore islands tend to be humid continental since September usually stays above means.


Ecology

The Quark ridge at the south of the bay defines the dividing line beyond which many salt water species are unable to survive. Instead of the red and brown algae found further south, the bay has predominantly
green algae The green algae (singular: green alga) are a group consisting of the Prasinodermophyta and its unnamed sister which contains the Chlorophyta and Charophyta/Streptophyta. The land plants (Embryophytes) have emerged deep in the Charophyte alga as ...
and
phanerogams A spermatophyte (; ), also known as phanerogam (taxon Phanerogamae) or phaenogam (taxon Phaenogamae), is any plant that produces seeds, hence the alternative name seed plant. Spermatophytes are a subset of the embryophytes or land plants. They inc ...
. Annual plant species are almost completely dominant. The only perennials are a few specimens of the freshwater
cryptogam A cryptogam (scientific name Cryptogamae) is a plant (in the wide sense of the word) or a plant-like organism that reproduces by spores, without flowers or seeds. The name ''Cryptogamae'' () means "hidden reproduction", referring to the fact ...
''
Isoetes echinospora ''Isoetes echinospora'', also known as spiny quillwort, spiny-spored quillwort or spring quillwort is a species of quillwort in the Isoetaceae family, and is the most abundant species in Canada. It can be found in shallow aquatic environments fro ...
'' and the moss '' Fontinalis dalecarlica''. Often the green algae have a dense covering of epiphytic diatoms. The shores, beaches and shallows include a variety of northern plant species including the endemic yellow hair grass (''
Deschampsia bottnica ''Deschampsia cespitosa'', commonly known as tufted hairgrass or tussock grass, is a perennial tufted plant in the grass family Poaceae. Distribution of this species is widespread including the eastern and western coasts of North America, parts o ...
''). The only filter feeders are '' Ephydatia'' and, at the river mouths, small numbers of freshwater mussels. Bivalves make up 9% of animal biomass. Crustaceans, mostly '' Saduria entomon'' make up 45% and
gastropoda The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. ...
30%. The gastropoda are grazing snails related to freshwater species. Fish species found in the area's lakes and rivers also live in the bay, including roach, perch, pike and grayling.
Ringed seal The ringed seal (''Pusa hispida'') is an earless seal inhabiting the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. The ringed seal is a relatively small seal, rarely greater than 1.5 m in length, with a distinctive patterning of dark spots surrounded by light g ...
,
grey seal The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or " ...
,
cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
,
herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...
and
salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...
may also be found in the bay. In the 16th century seals were hunted in the Bay of Bothnia. Ringed seals were captured using nets in the inshore open water, and were stalked and captured in their dens or at breathing holes. Both grey and ringed seals were hunted along the edge of the ice. Wild vendace
roe Roe ( ) or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked in ...
harvested from the Kalix River, known as ''Kalix Löjrom'' or as sea gold, is a delicacy with a European
protected designation of origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...
. Birdlife includes the black guillemot,
velvet scoter The velvet scoter (''Melanitta fusca''), also called a velvet duck,Buczacki, Stefan (2005) ''Fauna Britannica'', Hamlyn, London. is a large sea duck, which breeds over the far north of Europe and the Palearctic west of the Yenisey basin. The gen ...
,
oystercatcher The oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, ''Haematopus''. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia. The ...
,
lesser black-backed gull The lesser black-backed gull (''Larus fuscus'') is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. It has increased dramatically in North America, most common alo ...
,
western capercaillie The western capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus''), also known as the Eurasian capercaillie, wood grouse, heather cock, cock-of-the-woods, or simply capercaillie , is a heavy member of the grouse family and the largest of all extant grouse species. ...
and
willow ptarmigan The willow ptarmigan () (''Lagopus lagopus'') is a bird in the grouse subfamily Tetraoninae of the pheasant family Phasianidae. It is also known as the willow grouse and in Ireland and Britain, where the subspecies '' L. l. scotica'' was prev ...
. Moose and hare are found on the islands, as on the mainland. Occasionally, whales have been observed in
Bothnian Sea The Bothnian Sea ( sv, Bottenhavet; fi, Selkämeri) links the Bothnian Bay (also called the Bay of Bothnia) with the Baltic proper. Kvarken is situated between the two. Together, the Bothnian Sea and Bay make up a larger geographical entity, t ...
and remains of extinct Atlantic gray whale was found from
Gräsö Gräsö is an island in Östhammar Municipality, off the coast of Uppland province on the eastern coast of Sweden. It is also the name of a village on the island which lies at the southern end of the Gulf of Bothnia. The island has an area of an ...
Jones L.M..Swartz L.S.. Leatherwood S.
The Gray Whale: Eschrichtius Robustus
"Eastern Atlantic Specimens". pp 41-44.
Academic Press Academic Press (AP) is an academic book publisher founded in 1941. It was acquired by Harcourt, Brace & World in 1969. Reed Elsevier bought Harcourt in 2000, and Academic Press is now an imprint of Elsevier. Academic Press publishes reference ...
. Retrieved on September 05, 2017
while it is not clear whether or not whales might once have reached Bothnian Bay historically.


Population

Ports on the Finnish side include
Haukipudas Haukipudas is a town and former municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. Its shore runs along the Gulf of Bothnia, with the river Kiiminkijoki running through the province. Alo ...
,
Jakobstad Jakobstad (; fi, Pietarsaari) is a town and municipality in Ostrobothnia, Finland. The town has a population of () and covers a land area of . The population density is . Neighboring municipalities are Larsmo, Pedersöre, and Nykarleby. The ...
,
Kemi Kemi (; sme, Giepma ; smn, Kiemâ; sms, Ǩeeʹmm; Swedish (historically): ''Kiemi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is to the south and to Rovani ...
,
Kokkola Kokkola (; sv, Karleby, ) is a cities of Finland, town and municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. The town is located in the Central Ostrobothnia regions of Finland, region. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of ...
,
Oulu Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...
,
Raahe Raahe (; sv, Brahestad; ) is a town and municipality of Finland. Founded by Swedish statesman and Governor General of Finland Count Per Brahe the Younger in 1649, it is one of 10 historic wooden towns (or town centers) remaining in Finland. Examp ...
and
Tornio Tornio (; sv, Torneå; sme, Duortnus ; smn, Tuárnus) is a city and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The city forms a cross-border twin city together with Haparanda on the Swedish side. The municipality covers an area of , of which is ...
. The largest towns by population on the Finnish side as of 2013 were
Oulu Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...
(192,680),
Tornio Tornio (; sv, Torneå; sme, Duortnus ; smn, Tuárnus) is a city and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The city forms a cross-border twin city together with Haparanda on the Swedish side. The municipality covers an area of , of which is ...
(22,374),
Kemi Kemi (; sme, Giepma ; smn, Kiemâ; sms, Ǩeeʹmm; Swedish (historically): ''Kiemi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is to the south and to Rovani ...
(22,157),
Kempele Kempele is a municipality south of the city of Oulu and south of the Oulu Airport in Northern Finland. Historically it was in the province of Oulu, but today it is in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia. The population of Kempele is () and the m ...
(16,549),
Raahe Raahe (; sv, Brahestad; ) is a town and municipality of Finland. Founded by Swedish statesman and Governor General of Finland Count Per Brahe the Younger in 1649, it is one of 10 historic wooden towns (or town centers) remaining in Finland. Examp ...
(25,641),
Kalajoki Kalajoki (; literally translated the "fish river") is a coastal town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Gulf of Bothnia in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has ...
(12,637),
Kokkola Kokkola (; sv, Karleby, ) is a cities of Finland, town and municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. The town is located in the Central Ostrobothnia regions of Finland, region. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of ...
(46,697) and
Jakobstad Jakobstad (; fi, Pietarsaari) is a town and municipality in Ostrobothnia, Finland. The town has a population of () and covers a land area of . The population density is . Neighboring municipalities are Larsmo, Pedersöre, and Nykarleby. The ...
(19,636). In Finland the catchment area included about of arable land as of 1993. There were four Finnish pulp and paper mills, of which two (Veitsiluoto Oy and Metsä Botnia Oy) were producing bleached kraft paper. On the Swedish side ports include Haparanda, Karlsborg, Kalix,
Luleå Luleå ( , , locally ; smj, Luleju; fi, Luulaja) is a city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban core (2018) and is the seat of Lu ...
, Piteå and
Skellefteå Skellefteå (, locally ) is a city in Västerbotten County, Sweden. It is the seat of Skellefteå Municipality, which had 73,246 inhabitants in 2021. The city is historically industrial, with mining being a large part of that industry, especial ...
. The largest towns on the Swedish side as of 2013 were Luleå (74,000), Skellefteå (71,641), Piteå (40,860) and Kalix (16,926). Luleå is the largest city in
Norrbotten Norrbotten (), known in English as North Bothnia, is a Swedish province (''landskap'') in northernmost Sweden. It borders south to Västerbotten, west to Swedish Lapland, and east to Finland. Administration The traditional provinces of Swede ...
, with the largest airport. The 1,312 islands of the Luleå archipelago are an important tourist attraction, as is the Gammelstad church village, listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. As of 1993 there were about of arable land in the Swedish part of the catchment basin, mostly used for small-scale low-intensity farming. There were five pulp and paper mills, of which one produced bleached kraft paper. In the late 1960s the bay was being used to transport fuel oil to the Finnish settlements around the bay. In 1968 about 950,000 tons of cellulose and 230,600 tons of paper and cardboard were exported, a figure that was rising. In 1968 ships calling at the Finnish ports carried about 388,872 tons of iron bars and 64,326 tons of steel sheets. Mining and mineral products such as coal and ore were carried to and from the ports, and steel products were exported. Sea transport continued throughout the winter. In 1993 there were two non-ferrous heavy metal smelters, in Rönnskär and Kokkola, emitting significant quantities of heavy metals. Efforts were being made to reduce emissions. The drainage basin also held three iron and steel plants and a number of mines. Human activities have affected the fragile sub-arctic environment. Dredging and other activities related to sea transport affect marine life. Agriculture, forestry and peat mining in the catchment basin add nutrients to the bay, affecting the ecological balance, while pollutants are delivered from steel mills and from pulp and paper mills around the bay, as well as from sewage treatment plants. Steel mills and stainless steel plants may have released
nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...
and
chromium Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal. Chromium metal is valued for its high corrosion resistance and hardne ...
. Efforts have been made to reduce pollution through improved technology, but some areas along the Finnish coastline show evidence of
eutrophication Eutrophication is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytopla ...
. Compared to other parts of the Baltic, higher levels of nitrate have been found in the Bothnian Bay and lower levels of phosphate and silicates.


Gallery

File:Seskaro bridge.jpg, The bridge to Seskarö, Sweden File:Icebreaker Fennica.jpg, Finnish icebreaker MSV ''Fennica'' in the Bay File:SampoIceTrac.JPG, Looking back from the Icebreaker Sampo near
Kemi Kemi (; sme, Giepma ; smn, Kiemâ; sms, Ǩeeʹmm; Swedish (historically): ''Kiemi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is to the south and to Rovani ...
, Finland File:Outokumpu mill in Tornio 20121015.jpg,
Outokumpu Outokumpu Oyj is a group of international companies headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, employing 10,600 employees in more than 30 countries. Outokumpu is the largest producer of stainless steel in Europe and the second largest producer in the A ...
mill in
Tornio Tornio (; sv, Torneå; sme, Duortnus ; smn, Tuárnus) is a city and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The city forms a cross-border twin city together with Haparanda on the Swedish side. The municipality covers an area of , of which is ...
File:Oulu Toppila.jpg, Old mill buildings and harbour in Toppila, Oulu, Finland File:20080227 Varessäikkä Siikajoki.jpg, Buildings and the birdwatching tower at Varessäikkä harbour,
Siikajoki Siikajoki is a municipality of Finland. It is part of the North Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Neighbour municipalities are Hailuoto, Liminka, Lum ...
, Finland File:Mökki Pallosessa.jpg, Old fisherman's cottage File:Lönkytin.jpg,
Lönkytin Lönkytin is an island in the Finland, Finnish sector of the Bay of Bothnia, off shore from the town of Haukipudas. Description Lönkytin is a high, rocky islet. It is located about west-northwest of the mouth of the Kiiminkijoki river, to the e ...
island File:Kahvankari Oulu.jpg, The island of Kahvankari in
Oulu Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...
, Finland File:Kraaseli in Kello.JPG, The eastern shore of the
Kellon Kraaseli Kellon Kraaseli (officially Kraaseli) is an island in the Finnish sector of the Bay of Bothnia. Description Kellon Kraaseli is located off shore from the village of the district in Oulu. The name is derived from the Swedish word ''gråsäl'', ...
island,
Haukipudas Haukipudas is a town and former municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. Its shore runs along the Gulf of Bothnia, with the river Kiiminkijoki running through the province. Alo ...
, Finland File:Bothnian Bay Kemi.jpg, Bothnian Bay in
Kemi Kemi (; sme, Giepma ; smn, Kiemâ; sms, Ǩeeʹmm; Swedish (historically): ''Kiemi'') is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio and the Swedish border. The distance to Oulu is to the south and to Rovani ...
, Finland File:Auringonlasku.jpg, Sunset at Hiekkasärkät,
Kalajoki Kalajoki (; literally translated the "fish river") is a coastal town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Gulf of Bothnia in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has ...
, Finland


References

Citations Sources * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{List of seas Gulf of Bothnia Landforms of Norrbotten County Landforms of Västerbotten County