The Houston Ship Channel is part of the Port of Houston—one of the United States' busiest seaports. The channel, carved out of Buffalo Bayou and Galveston Bay in 1910, has been expanded in 1922 and 1933 to facilitate commerce in the region. Today the depth of the channel is 43-15 feet and is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between Houston-area terminals and the Gulf of Mexico, and serves an increasing volume of inland barge traffic. With the additional sea commerce and Houston's recognition as "oil capital of the world", petrochemical refineries and other industrial complexes line the channel. Today the channel is managed by the Port of Houston Authority.