Revised Procedures for Calculating Regional Average Water Properties for Northeast Fisheries Science Center Cruises

摘要

Temperature and salinity measurements are made routinely on most Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) survey and research cruises. The area of coverage extends from Cape Hatteras northeastward to the Gulf of Maine, and from near the coast to just seaward of the shelf break. Since 1991 a report of the water properties has been issued almost every year (e.g., Taylor and Bascunan, 2003). This report includes regional average values of surface and bottom water temperature and salinity, and of the anomalies of temperature and salinity for five regions of the shelf. The anomalies are determined relative to reference annual cycles derived from data collected during the NEFSC Marine Resources Monitoring and Assessment Program (MARMAP) program. Holzwarth and Mountain (1992) present similar regional values for surface and bottom temperature as measured on the NEFSC spring and fall bottom trawl survey cruises from 1963 to 1990.