Mississippi Sound is a large inlet which spans from Lake Borgne in Louisiana to Mobile Bay, Alabama. It covers the entire Gulf Coast of the state of Mississippi and is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by a series of narrow barrier islands, namely Cat, Ship, Horn, Petit Bois and the Dauphin islands, besides several sand bars.
The Sound also comprises a part of the Gulf Inter-coastal Waterway, which is maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The Waterway sees a lot of towboat and barge traffic and is about 12 feet deep. This region is dominated by forested wetlands and salt marshes. The Sound is also well known for the bountiful harvest of shrimp and menhaden that are found in its waters. The Mississippi Sound is replenished with fresh water from the Mississippi River, which flows in from the spillway to prevent flooding in the region. Once this takes place, the salinity levels in the Sound dip until a minimum of near zero and can stay low for a period of two to three months. There are also several deepwater ports along the sound which include Gulfport and Pascagoula.
Here, you can view a wide array of coastal wildlife. The sea grasses and the barrier islands protect the region from the high impact hurricanes which are a frequent phenomenon here. The Mississippi Department of Natural Resources maintains over 20 marine reserves in this region, the protected areas of which form a part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Many portions of the Mississippi Sound reach depths of up to 20 feet.
