A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into coastal lagoons and atoll lagoons. They have also been identified as occurring on mixed-sand and gravel coastlines. There is an overlap between bodies of water classified as coastal lagoons and bodies of water classified as estuaries. Lagoons are common coastal features around many parts of the world.
The Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Romania, with a small part in Ukraine. Its approximate surface area is 4,152 square kilometres, of which 3,446 km2 (1,331 sq mi) is in Romania. With the lagoons of Razim–Sinoe, located south of the main delta, the total area of the Danube Delta is 5,165 km2 (1,994 sq mi). The Razim–Sinoe lagoon complex is geologically and ecologically related to the delta proper; the combined territory is listed as a World Heritage Site.
Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India,, measuring 759 square kilometres (293 sq mi). Major part of the lagoon comes under the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. The lagoon is one of three important wetlands that attracts northeast monsoon rain clouds during the October to December season. The lagoon comprises the following regions: Pulicat Lake, Marshy/Wetland Land Region (AP), Venadu Reserve Forest (AP), and Pernadu Reserve Forest (AP). The lagoon was cut across in the middle by the Sriharikota Link Road, which divided the water body into lagoon and marshy land. The lagoon encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary. The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lagoon from the Bay of Bengal and is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Chilika Lake is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia and second largest coastal lagoon in the world, spread over the Puri, Khordha and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 square kilometres (420 sq mi). Another lake in India called Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India. Chilika Lake comes after the New Caledonian barrier reef. It has been listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site. Its salinity varies by region, from nearly freshwater where rivers flow in, to oceanic salinity levels due to tidal influx.
Dniester Estuary, or Dniester Liman is a liman, formed at the point where the river Dniester flows into the Black Sea. It is located in Ukraine, in Odesa Oblast, and connects Budjak to the Ukrainian mainland. The city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi lies on its western shore and Ovidiopol on its eastern shore. Shabo, situated downstream of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, is known for its wine. The estuary hosts the Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky Seaport.
Popina Island is a Romanian island in the northern part of the Razelm Lake (Razim). The island spans 98 hectares and it is a protected reserve, hosting an important nesting area for shelducks. Razelm Lake is the largest natural lake in Romania, and the largest permanent water expanse in the Danube Delta, separated from the Black Sea by two long grinds, and flows into Lake Golovița through a 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) channel to the south.
The São Gonçalo Channel is a navigable channel connecting two large coastal lagoons, Lagoa Mirim and Lagoa dos Patos, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. At its eastern end, it separates the municipalities of Rio Grande to the south from Pelotas to the north.
Lake Tașaul is a lake in Northern Dobruja, Romania. Formerly an open salt water coastal lagoon, connected with the Black Sea, it was transformed into a freshwater lake in the 1920s. Its area is 23.35 km2 (9.02 sq mi) and its maximum depth is 4 m (13 ft).
The Hamangia is a river in Tulcea County, Romania. Near Lunca, it discharges into Lake Golovița, a former lagoon of the Black Sea. Its length is 33 km (21 mi) and its basin size is 224 km2 (86 sq mi).
The Slava is a river in Tulcea County, Romania. Near Lunca it discharges into Lake Golovița, a former lagoon of the Black Sea. Its length is 38 km (24 mi) and its basin size is 356 km2 (137 sq mi).
The Telița is a river in Tulcea County, Romania. Near Zebil it discharges into Lake Babadag, which is connected with Lake Razim, a former lagoon of the Black Sea. Its length is 48 km (30 mi) and its basin size is 287 km2 (111 sq mi).
The Taița is a river in Tulcea County, Romania. North of the town Babadag it discharges into Lake Babadag, which is connected with Lake Razim, a former lagoon of the Black Sea. Its length is 57 km (35 mi) and its basin size is 591 km2 (228 sq mi).
Lake Büyükçekmece is a liman formed at the point where the river Karasudere flows into the Marmara Sea. The lake is located south of the Çatalca district, west of Istanbul, Turkey. It is used as a freshwater reservoir.
Sasyk, or Kunduk, is a lagoon or liman in southern Ukraine, near the Danube Delta. It is a Ramsar listed wetland site important for migrating, breeding and moulting birds. About 25,000 pairs of wetland birds make their nests there and seasonal conglomerations of birds are up to 100,000 individuals.
Belhavel Lough is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in north County Leitrim near the village of Killarga.
Lake Golovița is part of a complex of lagoons on Romania's Black Sea coast. It is connected to the larger Lake Razelm on the north by a channel 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) wide, to Lake Zmeica on the south by three narrow channels, and separated from the Black Sea's salt water by a narrow spit of sand no more than 46 metres (151 ft) wide at some points along its eastern margin. This closure was completed artificially in the 1970s, and has caused the lagoon to lose all salinity, increase renewal times to over a year, and develop eutrophication. It is part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.
Koggala Lagoon is a coastal body of water located in Galle District, Southern Sri Lanka. It is situated near the town of Koggala and adjacent to the southern coast, about 110 km (68 mi) south of Colombo. The lagoon is embellished with eight ecologically rich small islands.
Malala-Ambilikala Lagoons are two interconnected coastal water-bodies located inside the Bundala National Park, Hambantota District in the Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is 260 km (160 mi) from Colombo to the arid south. The Malala-Ambilikala Lagoons are two of the three key lagoons located within the Bundala Ramsar wetlands.
