Pamlico Sound

Pamlico Sound with the southern Outer Banks. Orbital photo courtesy of NASA.
Map of the Pamlico Sound and its watershed

Pamlico Sound (/ˈpæmlɪkoʊ/ PAM-lik-oh) is a large estuarine lagoon in North Carolina. The largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, it extends 80 mi (130 km) long and 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) wide. It is part of a large, interconnected network of similar lagoons that includes Albemarle Sound, Currituck Sound, Croatan Sound, Roanoke Sound, Pamlico Sound, Bogue Sound, Back Sound, and Core Sound[1][2] known collectively as the Albemarle-Pamlico sound system. With over 3,000 sq. mi. (7,800 km2) of open water[3] the combined estuary is second only in size to 4,479 sq mi (11,600 km2) Chesapeake Bay in the United States.

The Pamlico Sound is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a row of low, sandy barrier islands that include Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Albemarle-Pamlico Sound is one of nineteen great waters recognized by the America's Great Waters Coalition.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference uri was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference outer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "NCDEQ - Fast Facts". portal.ncdenr.org. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  4. ^ National Wildlife Federation (August 18, 2010). "America's Great Waters Coalition". Archived from the original on 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2011-08-18.