The coastline of Nova Scotia encompasses numerous bays, inlets and lagoons. The largest include St. Georges Bay, and St. Margarets Bay; the smallest are coastal inlets such as Herring Cove, near Halifax. Bras d'Or Lake in Cape Breton Island is a unique inland waterbody. The majority of inlets and harbours were formed as the result of submergence of river valleys. Physical conditions in coastal waterbodies tend to be warmer, more estuarine (see T6.4), and more sheltered than exposed sections of the ocean coastline. Consequently, they have animal and plant communities that differ from those found on the open coast.

This Document Includes:

Topography
Processes
Lagoons and Barachois
Bras d'Or Lake
Large Bays
Cultural Factors

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Additional Keywords:
tides, currents.

Associated Topics:

T2.7 Offshore Geology
T3.5 Offshore Bottom Characteristics
T5.2 Nova Scotia's Climate
T6.1 Ocean Currents
T6.2 Oceanic Environments
T6.4 Estuaries
T7 The Coast
T8.1 Freshwater Hydrology
T8.2 Freshwater Environments
T10.6 Trees
T11.6 Shorebirds and Other Birds of Coastal Wetlands
T11.7 Seabirds and Birds of Marine Habitats
T11.12 Marine Mammals
T11.14 Marine Fishes
T11.17 Marine Invertebrates
T12.7 The Coast and Resources

Associated Habitats:

H1 Offshore
H2.5 Tidal Marsh
H3.1 Open-Water Lotic (Rivers and Streams)
H3.3 Bottom Lotic (Rivers and Streams)