A lagoon is a mass of water divided from larger bodies of water by a natural barrier. These borders or barriers can be sand, reefs, coral, or other natural sediments.
The word lagoon comes from the Italian word “laguna,” which means lake or pond. There are two types of lagoons:
- Atoll lagoons (a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets)
- Coastal lagoons (they form along gently sloping coasts).