Climatological analysis (1991-2002) of the thermohaline characteristics in the Marine Reserve of Miramare (Gulf of Trieste)

A climatological analysis has been performed on the seawater temperature, salinity and density excess data collected by the Laboratory of Marine Biology (LBM) in the Marine Reserve of Miramare (Gulf of Trieste) from January 1991 to July 2002. For each depth and parameter, descriptive statistics have been worked out and minumum, maximum and mean values at 0.5, 5, 10 and 15 meters are reported. A least squares trigonometric best-fit interpolation was then performed in order to compare LBM data with other data available in literature. The comparison has showed an increase of the seawater temperature of about 0.5?C on the whole water column with respect to 1980-82 data and a phase difference of about one month in the salinity signal, while the mean annual salinity has not changed. The temperature increase is in accordance with the temperature data collected by the Istituto Sperimentale Talassografico-CNR of Trieste.