Nutrients and Particulate Matter dynamics and exchanges in the Otranto Strait

A series of seasonal cruises and Eulerian current measurements in the Otranto Strait were carried out to study the biogeochemical characteristics of the strait and to estimate the exchange of water, dissolved and particulate matter between the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea. From the biogeochemical distributions obtained, the role for the Adriatic Sea in supporting the N:P ratio anomaly of the Mediterranean is hypothesized. Examining the bottom oxygen distribution, the deep ventilation of the Eastern Mediterranean seems to follow a more complex pathway than previously hypothesized Fluxes computation shows a net outflow through the strait for nitrate, phosphate and silicate, while a slight net inflow was obtained for POC and PN.