1. What Is a Lagoon?: A lagoon is a shallow body of calm water separated from the open ocean or a larger lake by a thin strip of land, sandbars, or coral reefs.

2. The Italian Roots: The word lagoon actually comes from the Italian word laguna, which refers to the body of water surrounding the famous city of Venice, Italy!

3. Two Main Types: There are two main kinds of lagoons: atoll lagoons (which form inside ring-shaped coral reefs in tropical oceans) and coastal lagoons (which form along flat beaches behind sandbars).

4. Protected Swimming Pools: Because coral reefs or sandbars block crashing ocean waves, the water inside a lagoon stays super calm and peaceful, acting like a giant natural swimming pool.

5. A Bird's Paradise: Coastal lagoons are famous pit stops for migratory birds; flamingos, pelicans, and herons love hanging out in lagoons to search the shallow water for tasty snacks.

6. Shimmering Colors from Space: If you look at atoll lagoons from an airplane or space, they glow in brilliant shades of turquoise and bright blue because the sand below reflects the bright tropical sunlight through the clear shallow water.

7. Venice Built on Water: The famous Italian city of Florence's neighbor, Venice, is actually built across more than 100 small islands sitting inside a giant, shallow tidal lagoon!