In these parts (North Carolina) and many others, a sound is the large body of water that separates the barrier islands from the mainland. This body of water may contain small islands and marshy areas. This is the prime area for oysters and is also a nursery for many of the fish and shellfish in our area. The Intercoastal_Waterway (ICW) runs through them in parts of NC. Unlike in the northern part of the state where they have huge expansive sounds (Pamlico, Currituck), our sounds are smaller.
In the the Topsail Islands area we have two main sounds, Stump Sound behind the northern part of the island and Topsail sound behind the southern part of the island.
