Interannual variability in hydrobiological variables in the coast of A Coruna (NW Spain) from 1991 to 1999

Results of monthly sampling at a 70-m-deep shelf station off A Coruna (NW Spain) from 1991 to 1999 illustrate the relationships between changes in biological productivity, seasonal upwelling, and interannual changes in the composition of Eastern North Atlantic Central Waters (ENACW). During most of the 1990s the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index was positive, resulting in warm and wet weather off NW Spain. It also produced a subsurface poleward current, which transported ENACW of high salinity and low nutrient content. In contrast, negative NAO index values in 1995 and 1996 coincided with the return of low-salinity, nutrient-rich ENACW.

Article from Marine Science Symposia Vol. 219 - "Hydrobiological variability in the ICES Area, 1990-1999", symposium held in Edinburgh, 8-10 August 2001. To access  the remaining articles please click on the keyword "MSS Vol. 219".