Hudson Bay

Hudson Bay is a massive body of saltwater located in northeastern Canada.

It is considered an inland marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. While it sits near Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, and Nunavut, it is politically part of Nunavut. The bay is quite large, covering about 1.23 million square kilometers. This makes it the second-largest body of water in the world to use the name "bay." Only the Bay of Bengal is larger in size.

The bay is relatively shallow compared to the open ocean. It is classified as an epicontinental sea, which is a sea on top of a continent. Its average depth is only about 66 meters. This is much shallower than the Bay of Bengal, which reaches much deeper. The bay has several connections to other waters. The Hudson Strait connects it to the Labrador Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. To the north, the Foxe Channel and the Fury and Hecla Strait connect it to the Arctic Ocean.

The water in Hudson Bay has a lower salinity than regular ocean water. Salinity refers to the amount of salt dissolved in the water. This happens because of a low rate of evaporation and high levels of terrestrial runoff. Terrestrial runoff is the fresh water that flows from the land into the sea. The Hudson Bay drainage basin is a massive area covering about 4.1 million square kilometers. It includes parts of several Canadian provinces and four U.S. states. These states are North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana.

This lower salt level changes how the bay behaves. Because the water is less salty, its freezing point is higher than the rest of the ocean. This means the water freezes more easily. The bay is largely frozen from mid-December to mid-June. The presence of fresh water also affects marine life. For example, lower salinity limits the growth of micro algae. This change in algae affects the total biomass, or the amount of living matter, in the water.

European history in the bay began with a search for a western route to Asia. This route was often called the Northwest Passage. In 1610, an Englishman named Sir Henry Hudson explored the area. He sailed on a ship called the Discovery.

His crew eventually mutinied against him in 1611. They left him in a small boat, and his fate remains unknown. Later, in 1668, the ship Nonsuch arrived to trade for beaver pelts. This led to the creation of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1670.

The Hudson's Bay Company held a trading monopoly over a region called Rupert's Land. This area was part of the Hudson Bay watershed. France contested this control, but they eventually gave up their claims. This was settled in the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. The company built several factories, which were forts or trading posts, along the coast. These posts, like York Factory, were used to trade furs with Indigenous peoples. In 1870, the company's monopoly ended through a British order called the Deed of Surrender. This transferred Rupert's Land to Canada.

The climate in the region is very cold and varies by location. Northern Hudson Bay has a polar climate. This is a very rare climate type found south of 60 degrees north. The northern shores are characterized by tundra. The western shores consist of the Hudson Bay Lowlands. This area is Canada's largest continuous peatland. It contains permafrost, which is ground that stays frozen.

In contrast, the eastern shores are part of the Canadian Shield. This area is much more rocky and hilly.

Many unique animals depend on this environment. The western bay is home to a large population of beluga whales. Scientists estimate there are about 54,473 individuals in this group. The region is also famous for polar bears. Some bears use Wapusk National Park as a major area for denning.

However, the environment is changing. Regional temperatures have been increasing over the last 100 years. This has caused the sea ice to decrease by about 19.5% per decade. The ice-free period is also getting longer.