There are several ways in which bays can be formed. The largest bays have been developed through plate tectonics. As the supercontinent Pangea split along curved and indented fault lines, the continents separated and left large bays, such as the Gulf of Guinea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Bengal, which is the largest bay in the world. The bays are also formed due to coastal erosion caused by rivers and glaciers.
A bay formed by a glacier is a fjord. The estuaries are formed by rivers and are characterized by more gradual slopes. Softer rock deposits erode more quickly, forming bays, while harder rocks erode less quickly, leaving headlands. Bays and gulfs are concavities formed by tidal erosion on the coast of an ocean, lake or sea.
The difference between a bay and a gulf is not clearly defined, but the term bay generally refers to a body of water somewhat smaller than a gulf. However, there are numerous exceptions around the world, such as the Bay of Bengal, which is larger than the Gulf of Mexico and roughly the same size as the Arabian Sea. This is a list of bays and gulfs, arranged alphabetically by continent or region and by country. Also included are deep fjords and inlets formed by glaciers.
Many sources describe Chesapeake Bay as the third largest estuary in the world. Others consider it the second largest. We've even seen it described (incorrectly) as the largest estuary in the world. It has also been described as the largest estuary in the United States. Guantánamo Bay Guantánamo Bay is the largest bay on the southern side of Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean Sea.
A bay is a sunken coastal body of water that connects directly to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, lake, or other bay. Lawrence is clearly the largest estuary in North America, with an area of 60,000 square miles (155,000 km), compared to 4,480 square miles (11,600 km) in Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Bay has been contaminated by wastewater, industrial waste and runoff from the chemicals used in agriculture. Some parts of Chesapeake Bay are occasionally dead zones where there is little life below surface water.
Thousands of sailors from Maryland and Virginia work with environmental groups and local governments to monitor and restore habitats in the Bay of Chesapeake.