Analysis of Oceanographic Properties of the Adriatic Sea by GIS Technique

Abstract

All historical data of classical oceanographic parameters (temperature, salinity, oxygen, and pH) stored in Marine Environmental Database of the Adriatic Sea (MEDAS) have been analysed in the paper. Since the main figure of data distribution is not regular in space and time, it was necessary to estimate the value of the each parameter at the nodes of an interpolated grid. All parameters were interpolated on the standard oceanographic levels, and the semivariogram graphs were used to describe the structural properties of field of each parameter. Geostatistics was used for interpolation of data because it estimates values corresponding to the average values of a random function with minimum standard deviation error of interpolated data. GIS technique was used for the final analysis and presentation of output data (seasonally, monthly, yearly data distributed in different layers of water column and different sub regions of the Adriatic Sea). In addition, overlaying of different oceanographic parameters, maps show an influence of climate and environmental change on biodiversity in the Adriatic Sea.