Gulf of Koper
The Gulf of Koper or Koper Bay is located in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea, and is the northern part of the Gulf of Trieste. It comprises several minor bays: the Ankaran Bay, the Semedela Bay, the Viližan Bay, the Simon Bay, the Moon Bay, and the Strunjan Bay. It covers an area of. Since 1785, when the town of Koper was still on the island, the area of the bay has been reduced by about due to land reclamation.
Overview
The gulf, named after the city of Koper, is part of the Slovene Riviera and is entirely located in Slovenian territory. Crossed by the river Rižana, it spans from Debeli Rtič, next to the borders with the Italian town of Muggia; to Rt Madona, a cape in the town of Piran, that is also the northernmost point of the Gulf of Piran. Two other streams flowing into the Gulf of Koper are Baševica in Koper and Strunjan Creek or Roja in Strunjan.The towns of Koper, Izola and Piran, along with the villages of Ankaran, Bertoki, Jagodje, Dobrava, Strunjan and Fiesa, are located by the gulf.
Ecological significance
The Gulf of Koper is an ecologically important area with over 1800 plant and animal species identified, among which the loggerhead sea turtle and the common bottlenose dolphin. Near Žusterna, there is an underwater meadow of the Neptune grass, which is included in the Natura 2000 network.Strunjan nature park
The Strunjan nature park is a protected area of landscape on the Strunjan peninsula, which includes the Strunjan nature reserve, the Stjuža nature reserve, which is the only lagoon on the Slovenian coast, and a stone pine tree avenue along the main road linking Izola to Sečovlje.The Strunjan nature reserve features the flysch Strunjan cliff with a height of, in front of which lies the Moon Bay. The reserve covers an area of, including a coastal strip of of the sea. The Strunjan cliff is the largest known flysch wall on the entire Adriatic coast. Its lower part is eroded by the sea, whereas the upper part is subjected to weather conditions. This results in interesting geological and geomorphological features, such as rock shelters, microtectonic faults, faulted rock blocks and oblique layers of rock.
On the upper edge of the cliff, in erosion gullies and elsewhere where the slope of the terrain allows, a typical deciduous sub-Mediterranean community of the European hop-hornbeam and autumn moor grass has developed, with dense occurrences of the weaver's broom and the giant cane also occurring in the upper part of the cliff. On the slopes of Cape Ronek, where, despite its northern location and predominantly loess substrate, typical Mediterranean plants also occur: the common myrtle and the strawberry tree, for which Cape Ronek is the only indigenous site in Slovenia.
Škocjan Inlet
A former bay of the Gulf of Koper is the Škocjan Inlet. This wetland is a residue of the sea that once encircled Koper. It covers an area of and contains brackish water with salinity between freshwater and sea. The location has extraordinary ornithological significance, where ca. 200 bird species have been observed, including the little bittern, the black-crowned night heron, the squacco heron, the spotted crake, the wood sandpiper, the Mediterranean gull, and the moustached warbler.Shell dune near Ankaran
The shell dune in Polje bay/sea inlet between Koper and Ankaran is the only shell dune in Slovenia. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Port of Koper, north of the mouth of the Rižana River. The shell dune was created after 1990, when the Port of Koper dredged the second harbour quay and pumped silt from the seabed to a nearby location next to the outlet of the Rižana River into the Adriatic Sea. Rain gradually washed the mud from the sludge piles, leaving only the calcareous shells of molluscs.Economy
Port of Koper
The Port of Koper is the main port that serves the route between the Adriatic Sea and Central Europe. The core business covers cargo handling and warehousing services for all types of goods, complemented by a range of additional services for cargo with the aim of providing a comprehensive logistics support for customers.Salt production
An important economic activity for a major part of the history of the Gulf of Koper was salt production. The Koper salt pans were first mentioned in the 12th century and were managed by the residents of Koper under the Venetian rule.The Strunjan Saltpans are minor saltpans located in Strunjan. These are the northernmost saltpans in the Mediterranean and the smallest in the Adriatic, where salt has been traditionally extracted for more than 700 years.