Spatial and seasonal variability of water and biogeochemical fluxes in the Adriatic Sea

The intensive basin-wide hydrographic sampling and current measurement programme within one-year period (1995/1996) in the Adriatic Sea made it possible to calculate estimates of the southward fluxes of water, suspended and dissolved matter at selected transects. From presented results it was shown that about 75% of the water entering the Adriatic through the Strait of Otranto recirculates within the South Adriatic Gyre. The contribution of the Northern Adriatic in terms of the water represents only 4 to 5% of the total volume of water exchanged through the Strait of Otranto. Consequently, the influence of the Northern Adriatic shallow area in determining bio-chemical properties of the deep South Adriatic Pit is rather small. This conclusion is in a good agreement with the recently obtained evidences that the Adriatic Sea as a whole acts as a mineralization basin with respect to the Ionian Sea.