THE STATE OF THE CALIFORNIA CURRENT IN 1993-1994

This report is a summary and preliminary interpretation of recent shore-station and shipboard observations made of the coastal waters of California. The emphasis is upon data currently being collected by the CalCOFI (California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations) program. The California Current was affected by El Nino conditions in 1992 and 1993, which were evident as elevated coastal sea level; widespread positive sea-surface temperature anomalies; a thicker Mixed layer and deeper nutricline; and relatively low values of chlorophyll, primary production, and macrozooplankton biomass. A strong and broad inshore countercurrent was evident in January and February of 1992 and 1993. During 1992 and 1993, anomalies in coastal sea level and the circulation pattern were most pronounced during late winter to early spring, and structure during the remainder of the year was less extreme. A different pattern is developing in 1994. The inshore countercurrent was absent in January 1994, and coastal sea level was anomalously low. Mesoscale physical structure of the California Current was strong during the entire period described here. A particularly striking feature is the sharp coastal meander, which was first sampled during October 1993 and which remained evident through March 1994.