Environmental Problems of the Albemarle-Pamlico Sound System

The Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine system is the second largest estuarine area in the United States. This system consists of 2 large coastal lagoons (Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds) with their associated fringing habitats (beaches, marshes, bluffs, and swamp forests) and rivers (Neuse, Pamlico, Pungo, Alligator, Roanoke and Chowan). Other environmental features of the Albemarle-Pamlico system vary regionally to create local habitats of quite different character. This paper discusses the title subject in terms of water quality, biological characteristics, and environmental processes.