Ionian Sea Archipelago - Environment

The Archipelago is influenced by 4 main water masses: the North Atlantic Water (NAW), the Ionian Surface Water (ISW), the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) and the Deep Water (DW). The NAW and the ISW extend from the surface to about 60 m but while NAW consists mainly of water saturated in oxygen, low in salinity and poor in nutrients, ISW is saltier and warmer and flows in the area only in the summer time. The LIW occupies subsurface layers (80–150m) and is characterized by higher salinities and nutrients, while the DW is colder and more uniform water that extends from the lower part of the LIW down to the bottom (Bousoulenga et al. 1990; Psyllidou-Giouranovits et al.1994; Malanotte-Rizzoli et al. 1998; Ramfos et al. 2006). The area is also influenced by cyclonic and anticyclonic gyres (Souvermezoglou et al. 1992).