The Étang de Thau (Thau pond) is the largest body of water in the Occitania region and forms a true inland sea. However, it is considered a lagoon pond as it is actually a lagoon, a shallow body of water separated from the sea by a barrier beach. Various estuaries allow circulation between the lagoon and the sea. More than half of the Thau lagoon is listed as a protected area, making it a unique natural environment in Europe. Punctuated by shellfish beds on its surface, the lagoon is also the Mediterranean capital of oyster farming.