Malostonski zaljev is a Special nature reserve in the sea located in Croatia. The protected area is managed by the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Nature Areas of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
Shellfish has been cultivated in the bay since ancient times. In 1983, it was declared a special sea nature reserve due to its high productivity and significance for shellfish farming. The bay is situated at the end of the Neretva Channel, with a length of 28 km. The widest part of the bay is 6.1 km, and the coastal elevations range from 0 to 400 m. The bay has highly indented coastlines both internally and externally, resulting in a coastal line approximately 100 km long. The deepest part of the bay reaches 29 m, but more than 80 percent of the bay is between 20 and 29 m deep.
Research conducted in the Malostonski Bay has revealed the complexity and intricacy of issues in this shallow and enclosed bay protected from the dynamics of the sea. Therefore, it experiences specific ecological factors that have impacted its marine life. The influence is characterized more by quantitative dominance rather than composition, primarily relating to some edible shellfish, including oysters.
