Yaquina Bay and the harbor in Newport
Newport is a harbor town, and Yaquina Bay is why it is here.
Yaquina Bay
According to Wikipedia, Yaquina Bay is a coastal estuary where the Yaquina River, about 59 miles long, meets the Pacific. It is named for the Yaquina people, who lived along the river. Newport and Toledo border the river and bay. Wikipedia notes the bay's oyster beds were found in 1861 and that native Olympia oysters remain part of the estuary's habitat.
The Port of Newport
The Port of Newport is a public body governed by a board of commissioners. Its site lists a commercial marina on the Bay Boulevard waterfront, a recreational marina with a fuel dock, an RV park and marina on the south side of the bay under the Yaquina Bay Bridge, and the Newport International Terminal, a multi-use pier. It is also home to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Operations Center-Pacific.
The port's history page says the Port of Newport was established in 1910 and held its first commission meeting on May 26 of that year. It describes the first north-side breakwater, completed in 1946, as protecting boats working the halibut and salmon fisheries, and says electricity and refrigeration helped make the Bayfront the area's economic hub. It also says Newport ranked 12th in the nation for seafood landings in 2017, with 112 million pounds valued at $53 million.