Hydrophysical mesoscale factors affecting phytoplankton distribution in a southern Adriatic Sea coastal area (Gulf of Manfredonia)

The Gulf of Manfredonia is located in the southwestern Adriatic Sea, which marks the boundary on the Italian coast between the Central and Southern Adriatic circulations. The spatial distributions of Chl-a concentration and of the hydrophysical properties in the Gulf of Manfredonia area during the spring are here depicted. The general features of the circulation follows the salinity pattern, evidencing that high salinity (S>38.65) in the center of the gyre upwell from the intermediate layer occupied by LIW. The distribution of the chlorophyll-a concentration (within 0.05-0.55 mg Chla-m-3) was consistent with the observed background hydrodynamical characteristics.