| Tangier Sound | |
|---|---|
  Tangier Sound  Tangier Sound  Tangier Sound | |
| Coordinates | 38°03′45″N75°59′44″W / 38.0626234°N 75.9954899°W /38.0626234; -75.9954899 |
| Type | Bay[1] |
| Part of | Chesapeake Bay[1] |
| Surface elevation | 0 feet (0 m)[1] |
Tangier Sound is asound of theChesapeake Bay bounded on the west byTangier Island inVirginia, andSmith Island and South Marsh Island inMaryland, byDeal Island inMaryland on the north, and the mainland of theEastern Shore of Maryland andPocomoke Sound on the east. It stretches intoVirginia as far south as Watts Island.
TheManokin,Big Annemessex, and Little Annemessex Rivers all flow into Tangier Sound fromSomerset County, Maryland.
Crisfield, Maryland, located on Tangier Sound, is a center of the shellfish industry.Smith Island,Tangier Island andDeal Island also remain centers of the Chesapeake Bay seafood industry and outposts of Chesapeake culture and history. As in other parts of Chesapeake Bay, theseafood industry on Tangier Sound has declined markedly due topollution,mismanagement and the growth ofrecreational fishing. However, the wild oyster industry has seen a strong reemergence in recent years due to shell planting and caretaking methods performed byChesapeake watermen. Tangier Sound is considered by many to possess the bestoysters andsoft crabs in the world. The Tangier Sound wild fishery is anartisanal fishery and source of iconic seafood.
Several Maryland wildlife management areas border Tangier Sound:South Marsh Island,Deal Island,Fairmount, andCedar Island areas.
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