Pamlico Sound

Pamlico Sound with the southern Outer Banks. Orbital photo courtesy of NASA.

Pamlico Sound (/ˈpæmlɨkoʊ/ PAM-lik-oh) in North Carolina, is the largest lagoon along the U.S. East Coast, being 129 km (80 mi) long and 24 to 48 km (15 to 30 miles) wide. It is a body of water separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a row of low, sandy barrier islands, including Cape Hatteras. The Neuse and Pamlico rivers (the latter is the estuary of the Tar River) flow in from the west. Pamlico Sound is linked on the north with Albemarle Sound through Roanoke Sound and Croatan Sound (passages). Core Sound is the narrow southern end.[1][2] The sound joins Oregon Inlet at north.

Explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano mistook the sound for the Pacific Ocean. The sound and its ocean inlets are noted for wide expanses of shallow water and occasional shoaling, making the area hazardous for larger vessels. In addition, the shallow waters are susceptible to wind and barometric pressure-driven tidal fluctuations. This effect is amplified on the tributary rivers, where water levels can change by as much as two feet in three hours when winds are aligned with the rivers' axes and are blowing strongly.[1][2]

Pamlico Sound is part of a large, interconnected network of lagoon estuaries. As a whole it is the second largest estuary in the United States (Chesapeake Bay is the largest). Seven sounds making up the whole: Albemarle Sound, Currituck Sound, Croatan Sound, Pamlico Sound, Bogue Sound, Core Sound, and Roanoke Sound.[1][2] Cape Hatteras National Seashore and Cape Lookout National Seashore are located on the barrier islands. Along the coastal areas are numerous waterfowl nesting sites, including Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge and Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge on the mainland.[1][2] Dolphins and sea turtles[3] that are at risks on being involved in fishing nets,[4] live in the sound with occasional visits by seals such as Harp Seal, while many other cetaceans including rare species like Fin Whales, Cuvier's Beaked Whales, and Orcas are present off Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras. whales such as Atlantic Gray (now extinct),[5] North Atlantic Right (critically endangerend), and North Atlantic Humpback were historically common. Endangered species such as Leatherback Turtles,[6] Great White Sharks, and Basking Sharks are known to visit the sound as well.[7]

The Albemarle-Pamlico Sound is one of nineteen great waters recognized by the America's Great Waters Coalition.[8]

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Albemarle-Pamlico Sound". University of Rhode Island.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Pamlico Sound". Outer Banks.
  3. ↑ Epperly P.S.. Braun J.. Veishlow A.. 1995. Sea Turtles in Noerh Carolina Waters (http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2386782?uid=3738328&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21105421606303). the Conservation Biology Vol. 9, No. 2 (Apr., 1995), pp. 384-394. Retrieved on December 10. 2014
  4. ↑ Donnelly M.. 2007. Sea Turtles and North Carolina Inshore Fisheries. VELADOR - the Sea Turtle Conservancy Newspaper. Issue 2 (2007). The Sea Turtle Conservancy. Retrieved on December 10. 2014
  5. ↑ Regional Species Extinctions - Examples of regional species extinctions over the last 1000 years and more.. Retrieved on December 10. 2014
  6. ↑ Young N..2006. GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING APOTENTIAL BIOLOGICAL REMOVAL (PBR)FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGING SEA TURTLEBYCATCH IN THE PAMLICO SOUNDFLOUNDER GILLNET FISHERY. Master of Environmental Management degree in the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences of Duke University. Retrieved on December 10. 2014
  7. ↑ Schwartz J.F.. 2010. BASKING AND WHALE SHARKS OF NORTH CAROLINA. Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Science, 126(3), 2010, pp. 84–87. Retrieved on December 10. 2014
  8. ↑ National Wildlife Federation (August 18, 2010). "America's Great Waters Coalition". Retrieved 2011-18-20. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links

 Beaufort County Hyde County Dare County
Pamlico County Dare County
   Pamlico Sound  
Carteret County Carteret County Dare County

Coordinates: 35°18′46″N 75°56′14″W / 35.31278°N 75.93722°W