Practical Exercise: Rhodes Gyre Campaign FINEMED 2017 “Preparing next generation fine scale experiments in the Mediterranean sea” Practical Exercise: Rhodes Gyre Campaign Phd Student’s Team: Néstor Aldea Ramos Artemis Ioannou Roy Hourany Elif Yilmaz Onur Karakus

Motivation & Regional context Eastern Mediterranean Sea: dominated by complex dynamics - large robust mesoscale features few campaigns in order to identify mean circulation patterns POEM group LIWEX group our focus is on the Rhodes Gyre IE PE Marullo et.al 2003

Objectives\specific questions role of Rhodes gyre in terms of dynamical and biological processes – high productivity region interaction with neighboring features – Asia minor current – Ierapetra Eddy link with LIW intermediate water formation and their return in Western Mediterranean Sea What are the interactions between MMJ, IG and RG? How its location and intensity changes annually and inter-annualy? How these changes affect the formation rate/ volume/ salinity of the LIW? What are the effects of LIW on the biogeochemical properties of the region? COPERNICUS - CHL

Campaign strategy Step1: Rhode gyre investigation from satellite altimetry identify variability among years (seasonality, size, intensity etc.) identify period of deep convection - expected in spring late March Step2: Experimental set-up Type of Measurements needed Moorings -> timeseries of biochemical and physical cycles in key regions CTD -> specific periods of the year for characterization of large area drifters --> atmospheric forcing influence in deep convection process VMACP -> vertical extent of structures Glider We want moorings timeseries -> bloom cycle biochemical and dynamical cycle We drifters because we need atmospheric impact in the gyre + center of gyre Gliders -> vertical profiles and stirring advantages Moorings

Campaign strategy Step1: study from available satellite altimetry identify Rhodes Gyre characteristics among years (seasonality, size, intensity etc.) expected process of deep convection in spring late March Step2: Experimental set-up Type of Measurements needed Moorings -> timeseries of biochemical and physical cycles in key regions CTD -> specific periods of the year for characterization of large area drifters --> evaluation of atmospheric forcing to the gyre deep convection VMACP -> vertical extent of structures Glider We want moorings timeseries -> bloom cycle biochemical and dynamical cycle We drifters because we need atmospheric impact in the gyre + center of gyre Gliders -> vertical profiles and stirring advantages CTD

Expected outcomes fill the gap about biochemical properties of Rhodes gyres. processes regarding LIW role of the atmospheric forcing in the deep convection Publications : moorings and gliders data will used for assessing the role of Rhodes Gyre in the formation process of Levantine Intermediate Water. coupling of physical and biochemical data will be investigated in terms of the effects of physics on the primary production in the study area.