Nantucket Sound

{{Short description|A roughly triangular area of the Atlantic Ocean offshore from the U.S. state of Massachusetts}}

{{One source|date=January 2023}}

File:Cape Cod Bay map.png, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket.]]

File:Nasa, cape cod.jpg

Nantucket Sound is a roughly triangular area of the Atlantic Ocean offshore from the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is {{convert|30|mi|km}} long and {{convert|25|mi|km}} wide, and is enclosed by Cape Cod on the north, Nantucket on the south, and Martha's Vineyard on the west.{{GNIS|617990|Nantucket Sound}} Between Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard it is connected to the Vineyard Sound. Ports on Nantucket Sound include Nantucket and Hyannis, Massachusetts.

Nantucket Sound possesses significant marine habitat for a diversity of ecologically and economically important species. "The Sound" has particular significance for several federally protected species of wildlife and a variety of commercially and recreationally valuable fisheries.

The Sound is located at a confluence of the cold Labrador Currents and the warm Gulf Stream. This creates a unique coastal habitat representing the southern range for Northern Atlantic species and the northern range for Mid-Atlantic species. Nantucket Sound has much biological diversity and contains habitats that range from open sea to salt marshes, as well as warm-water beaches on the Cape and Islands coasts.

Nantucket Sound is well known for the numerous shoals within its boundaries.{{Cite web |title=Waterway Guide {{!}} Cruising Nantucket Sound |url=https://www.waterwayguide.com/knowledge-center/news-post/12200/cruising-nantucket-sound-ma |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=www.waterwayguide.com |language=en}}