Atlantic Fisheries Research Document 1996/001

Oceanographic conditions in the Newfoundland Region during 1995 with comparison to the 1961-1990 average

By E. Colbourne

Abstract

Oceanographic observations from St. Pierre Bank, Grand Bank, Flemish Cap, Northeast Newfoundland Shelf and Southern Labrador Shelf during 1995 are presented and referenced to the long-term (1961-1990) mean. At Station 27 water temperatures were normal during the winter months but had cooled to 0.5-1.0 °C below normal during the spring and early summer of 1995. By the fall temperatures were near normal over most of the water column. Salinities were near normal during early winter over the entire water column and from January to July near the bottom, but up to 1.0 psu fresher than normal in the upper water column during spring and summer. The cold-intermediate-layer (CIL) on the Newfoundland Shelf was above normal (by 20%) along the Flemish Cap transect (Grand Bank), 28% below normal along the Bonavista transect and 32% below normal along the Seal Island transect. The cross-sectional area of sub-zero 0C water except for the Grand Bank on the Newfoundland Shelf was the lowest in about 10 years. Minimum CIL core temperatures were above normal along the Seal Island transect, about normal along the Bonavista transect but still slightly below normal on the Grand Bank. Bottom temperatures on the shelf during the fall period increased significantly over previous years and were up to 0.5 0C above normal except on St. Pierre Bank where significant negative temperature anomalies still exist. In general, the cold trends of the early 1990s have moderated during 1994 and 1995, however negative temperature and salinity anomalies were still present in the upper layers during the summer on the Newfoundland Shelf and during spring on St. Pierre Bank.

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