Pamlico Sound

Water type: Bay
Connection to the ocean: Atlantic Ocean
Continent: North America
Climate: Subtropical

Pamlico Sound is a large estuarine lagoon in North Carolina. The largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, it extends 130 km long and 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 known collectively as the Albemarle-Pamlico sound system. With over 7,800 km2 of open water the combined estuary is second only in size to 11,600 km2 Chesapeake Bay in the United States.