Facing the Bohai Sea on the east, Hebei province possesses rich ocean resources. Ocean Resources in Hebei Province include the following three groups:
Ocean Space Resources
Marine biological resources
Seawater chemical resources
Utilization of Resources
Space Resources
Ocean Space Resources in Hebei mainly apply for transportation and tourism.
The port of Qinhuangdao, which is still under expansion, is the largest energy shipping port in the world.
The port of Jingtang in Tangshan, and Port of Huanghua in Cangzhou, which are under construction, are both enlisted in the national key projects. Taking full advantage of its coastal location, Beidaihe has become a famous summer resort.
Marine Biology Resources
Thanks to the Bohai Sea, the inland sea of China, Hebei is rich in marine biology resources such as fish, shrimps, crabs, shellfish and algae.
To fully utilize shallow offshore waters and beaches, marine aquaculture has witnessed rapid growth in recent years.
Seawater chemical resources
The utilization of seawater chemical resources mainly focuses on salt extraction. Hebei enjoys favorable natural conditions for sea salt production. With broad beach, flat terrain, rich rainfall and sunshine, and large evaporative capacity, Hebei can produce 4 million tons of sea salt per year and among top salt producers in the country. Applying sea salt for the alkali industry is an important way to develop seawater chemical resources. Tangshan Soda Plant is now into operation.
The Coastline
1) The Sea Coast
The topographic features of the harbor segments in this area are noticeable, as is shown in the following chart:
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Harbor segment |
Topographic feature |
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From Zhangzhuang in Shanhaiguan to Daihekou |
Bedrock |
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From Daihekou to Daqinghekou inLetingCounty |
Sandiness |
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From Daqinghekou to Dakouhekou inHaixingCounty(The coastline along this segement shows noticeable changes). |
Mucky soil |
2) Geologic structures of the ocean
The coastal area of Hebei belongs to the Yanshan Subsidence Zone and the North down-wraped region. Crossing the Yanshan fold belt and the North down-wraped region, the coasts in Hebei province have four tectonic elements of the third level, which from north to south are Shanhaiguan hump, Huanghua, North China down warped basin, Chengning hump, and Bozhong hump.
3) Islands
The islands in Hebei Province do not have a long history. Among the oldest ones is the Beikesha Island in the south of Tianjin, which was formed 1000 years ago. In 1989, it was found that the total sea area amounted to 8.43 square kilometers with 132 islands with a size of over 500 square meters.
4) Intertidal zone
The intertidal zone of Hebei Coast covers an area of 1167.9 square kilometers, including a variety of geomorphic types such as bench, boulder beach, beach, tidal flat, river deltas and lagoon. Of the total intertidal zone of the province, mud flat accounts for 68.91%, sand-beach for 30.89%, reef beach for 0.2%.
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