Research Document 1998/50

Physical oceanographic conditions on the Scotian Shelf and in the Gulf of Maine during 1997

By K.F. Drinkwater, R. Pettipas, and L. Petrie

Abstract

A review of physical oceanographic conditions on the continental shelves and adjacent offshore areas off the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of Maine during 1997 is presented. For the third consecutive year, sea surface temperatures at Boothbay Harbor and St. Andrews were predominantly above their long-term means while Halifax was below normal. In the deep basins on the Scotian Shelf and the Gulf of Maine, the temperature in the deep layers remained approximately 1°C warmer than normal continuing the trend of recent years. This condition reflects the presence of warm slope water along the continental slope of the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of Maine. Deep (200-300 m average) temperatures in Cabot Strait, however, were near normal and also continue a trend established during the last few years. In the 50-100 m layer over most of the Scotian Shelf and in the near-bottom waters in the northeastern Shelf, temperatures remained below normal by upwards of 1°C. These cold conditions have persisted since at least the mid-1980s although most regions show that temperatures have been warming slightly during the past few years.

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