Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 12-16

Description of the 2010 

Oceanographic Conditions on the 

Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf

by Paula S. Fratantoni, Tamara Holzwarth-Davis, 

Cristina Bascuñán and Maureen H. Taylor
Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document 12-16

US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Marine Fisheries Service

Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Woods Hole, MA

August 2012

Description of the 2010 

Oceanographic Conditions on the 

Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf

by Paula S. Fratantoni, Tamara Holzwarth-Davis, 

Cristina Bascuñán and Maureen H. Taylor

National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service,

Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA,

02543 USA
Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Documents

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This document may be cited as:

Fratantoni PS, Holzwarth-Davis T, Bascuñán C, Taylor MH. 2012. Description of the 

2010 Oceanographic Conditions on the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf. US Dept Commer, Northeast Fish Sci Cent Ref Doc. 12-16; 32 p. Available from: National Marine 

Fisheries Service, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026, or online at http://

www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/
i 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ iii 

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 

Data and Methods ......................................................................................................................................... 1 

Results................ ...................................................................................................................................... 3 

References Cited ........................................................................................................................................... 5 

Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 

Table 1. Listing of 2010 NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center cruises supported by the 

Oceanography Branch. ..................................................................................................................... 6 

Table 2. 2010 regional average surface and bottom temperature values computed from CTD data sorted 

into six 2-month time periods for the five regions of the Northeast U.S. continental shelf.. ........... 7 

Table 3. 2010 regional average surface and bottom salinity values computed from CTD data sorted into 

six 2-month time periods for the five regions of the Northeast U.S. continental shelf.. .................. 8

Figure 1. Region designations for the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf: Gulf of Maine (GOM), Georges 

Bank (GB), Mid Atlantic Bight (MAB). .......................................................................................... 9 

Figure 2. 2010 station distributions for each 2-month time period.. ........................................................... 10 

Figure 3. Time series of the 2010 regional surface (left) and bottom (right) temperatures (blue) and 

anomalies (bars) as a function of calendar day. ............................................................................. 11 

Figure 4. Time series of the 2010 regional surface (left) and bottom (right) salinities (blue) and anomalies 

(bars) as a function of calendar day.. ............................................................................................. 12 

Figure 5. Time series of the 2010 regional shelf water temperature, salinity, and volume as a function of 

calendar day shown in blue for the southern (left) and northern (right) Middle Atlantic Bight.. .. 13 

Figure 6a: Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) distributions 

during January-February 2010.. ..................................................................................................... 14 

Figure 6b: Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during January-February 2010. ................................................................................. 15 

Figure 7a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) distributions 

during March-April 2010.. ............................................................................................................. 16 

Figure 7b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during March-April, 2010. ........................................................................................ 17 

Figure 8a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) distributions 

during May-June 2010. .................................................................................................................. 18 

Figure 8b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during May-June 2010. ............................................................................................. 19 

Figure 9a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) distributions 

during July-August, 2010. .............................................................................................................. 20 

Figure 9b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during July-August 2010. .......................................................................................... 21 

Figure 10a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) 

distributions during September-October 2010. .............................................................................. 22 

Figure 10b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during September-October 2010. .............................................................................. 23 

Figure 11a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) 

distributions during November-December 2010. ........................................................................... 24 
ii 

Figure 11b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during November-December 2010. ........................................................................... 25 

Figure 12. Monthly mean air temperature over the Northeastern U.S. for the years 1971-2000 (black) and 

2010 (red). ...................................................................................................................................... 26

Table A1. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that sampled 

within the eastern Gulf of Maine. .................................................................................................. 27 

Table A2. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that sampled 

within the western Gulf of Maine. ................................................................................................. 28 

Table A3. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that sampled 

within the Georges Bank area. ....................................................................................................... 29 

Table A4. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that sampled 

within the northern Middle Atlantic Bight. .................................................................................... 30 

Table A5. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that sampled 

within the southern Middle Atlantic Bight. ................................................................................... 31 

Table A6. 2010 temperature, salinity, and volume of the shelf water (SHW) in the Middle-Atlantic Bight 

North (MABN) and South (MABS) during 2010. ......................................................................... 32 
iii 

ABSTRACT 

Hydrographic observations from ten surveys spanning the Northeast U.S. Continental 

Shelf are combined into a descriptive overview of the broad-scale oceanographic conditions that 

were observed during 2010. Temperature and salinity observations are combined into six 2-

month time periods in order to maximize both the spatial coverage of the data and its temporal 

resolution during the year. Maps of near-surface and near-bottom property distributions are 

presented for each bi-monthly period and time series of regional average properties are discussed 

for five geographic regions spanning the shelf: western Gulf of Maine (GOMW), eastern Gulf of 

Maine (GOME), Georges Bank (GBNK), and northern and southern Middle-Atlantic Bight 

(MABN and MABS, respectively). Surface conditions along the entire Northeast U.S. 

Continental Shelf were generally warm and fresh in 2010 relative to the reference period (1977-

1987). Warming was largest in the spring and early summer, penetrating to the bottom 

throughout the region. The annual average air temperature over the Northeastern U.S. was 

warmer in 2010 than historical averages, with the greatest warming occurring during spring and 

summer. This may be responsible for the anomalously warm surface ocean temperatures at this 

time of year and for the enhanced warming that followed at depth in the near shore regions of the 

Middle Atlantic Bight. Freshening was greatest in the surface waters near the coast in the 

western Gulf of Maine and southern MAB during periods of maximum spring discharge, 

suggesting some influence from local fresh water sources in these regions. The surface 

freshening observed over Georges Bank and throughout the MAB penetrates to the bottom, while 

bottom waters in the Northeast Channel and deep basins of the GoM were saltier than normal 

reflective of the slope water influence in these regions. 
1 

INTRODUCTION 

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) conducts multiple surveys on the 

Northeast U.S. continental shelf each year in support of its ongoing mission to monitor the shelf 

ecosystem and assess how its components influence the distribution, abundance, and productivity 

of living marine resources. In support of this mission, the Oceanography Branch provides 

conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) instruments to all NEFSC cruises for the 

measurement of water column profiles of temperature and salinity. In addition to providing 

oceanographic context to specific field programs, these data contribute to a growing database of 

historical measurements that are used to monitor seasonal and interannual variability in the water 

properties on the northeast continental shelf. 

Broad-scale surveys, sampling the shelf from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, into the 

Gulf of Maine, are conducted up to six times per year during shelf-wide spring and fall bottom 

trawl surveys and typically on four dedicated seasonal Ecosystem Monitoring (EcoMon) surveys. 

Profiles of conductivity, temperature and depth are collected at each station on these shelf-wide 

surveys. Observations are also collected on other more regionally focused NEFSC surveys, 

where station coverage varies depending on the objectives of the particular field program. During 

2010, hydrographic data were collected on 10 individual NEFSC cruises, amounting to 1,807 

profiles of temperature and salinity (Table 1). Here we present an annual summary of these 

observations, including surface and bottom distributions of temperature and salinity, as well as 

their anomalies relative to a consistent reference period. In addition, regional average values of 

temperature and salinity and their anomalies are computed for five different regions of the shelf 

during six bi-monthly periods. Finally, the volume and properties of the shelf water are examined 

for the Middle-Atlantic Bight region. 

DATA AND METHODS 

The Oceanography Branch provides CTD instrumentation and support to all NEFSC 

programs requesting this service. Training in instrument maintenance and operation, including 

deployment, data acquisition, recovery and preliminary processing, is provided as needed prior 

to sailing. On NEFSC surveys, CTD instruments are typically deployed in one of two modes: (1) 

during a bongo net tow, the CTD instrument is mounted on the conducting wire above the bongo 

frame and data are collected as a double oblique profile with the ship steaming at approximately 

2 knots, (2) during a non-net tow, the CTD is mounted vertically on the wire and the sensors are 

soaked for one minute at the surface prior to descent. The sensors are not soaked at the surface 

prior to descent during bongo tows, rendering the upper 30 meters or more of the downcast 

unreliable. For this reason, the up-cast profile data are routinely processed as the primary data for 

each station. 

In 2010, hydrographic data were collected aboard the NOAA ships Delaware II and HB 

Bigelow, and the R/V HR Sharp using a combination of Seabird Electronics SBE-19 and SBE19+ SEACAT profilers and SBE 9/11 CTD units (Table 1). All raw CTD profile data were 

processed ashore, using standard Seabird Electronics software to produce 1-decibar averaged 

profiles in ascii-formatted files. Water samples were collected twice daily at sea during vertical 

casts. Following each cruise, these samples were analyzed using a Guildline AutoSal laboratory 

salinometer to provide quality control for the CTD salinity data. A salinity offset was applied to 

instrument data if the mean difference between the reference Autosal readings and the CTD 
2 

values exceeded +/- 0.01 (a threshold chosen based on the expected instrument accuracy.) 

Vertical density profiles were examined for inversions due to bad conductivity or temperature 

readings and/or sensor misalignment. Egregious cases were replaced with a flag value. The 

processed hydrographic data were loaded into ORACLE database tables and made publically 

available via anonymous ftp (ftp://ftp.nefsc.noaa.gov/pub/hydro). Cruise reports have been 

prepared for each survey listed in Table 1 and are available online 

(http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/epd/ocean/MainPage). Readers are referred to the individual cruise 

reports for notes, property maps and aggregate data specific to a particular survey. 

Here, we aim to provide a descriptive overview of the hydrographic sampling that was 

conducted in 2010 and to characterize the broad-scale oceanographic conditions that were 

observed. In order to maximize both the spatial coverage of the data and its temporal resolution, 

the processed 2010 CTD data have been sorted into six 2-month time bins. Maps of near-surface 

and near-bottom temperature and salinity have been produced from profile data falling within 

each 2-month period. Surface fields include the shallowest observed temperature/salinity at each 

station that is also in the upper 5 meters of the water column, while bottom maps include the 

deepest observation at each station that also falls within 10 meters of the reported water depth. In 

order to examine the spatial and temporal variability over broader areas of the shelf, average 

values have been computed from the data within five sub-regions spanning the Northeast U.S. 

Continental Shelf (Figure 1). Regional averages have been computed for the bi-monthly binned 

fields (Tables 1 and 2) and for individual cruises (Appendix Tables 1-5). 

In order to characterize variability that is not related to seasonal forcing, anomalies have 

been calculated at each station relative to a standard reference period (1977-1987). During this 

period the NMFS Marine Resources Monitoring and Prediction (MARMAP) program repeatedly 

occupied stations spanning the entire Northeast U.S. Shelf so that an annual cycle could be 

constructed for water properties across all regions of the northeast shelf (Mountain et al., 2004; 

Mountain and Holzwarth, 1989). The anomalies presented here are defined as the difference 

between the observed 2010 value at individual stations and the expected value for each location 

and time of year based on this reference period. Similarly, regional anomalies are the areaweighted average of these anomalies within a given domain. The methods used and an 

explanation of uncertainties is presented in Holzwarth and Mountain (1990). 

Finally, we calculate the temperature, salinity and volume of the shelf water in the 

Middle-Atlantic Bight during 2010 and relate this to the conditions observed during the 

MARMAP reference period. Following Mountain (2003), the shelf water mass is defined as 

water within the upper 100 meters having salinity less than 34. For each survey in 2010, the area 

of a sub-region was apportioned among its stations by an inverse distance squared weighting. 

The shelf water volume at a given station is the thickness of the shelf water at the station 

multiplied by its apportioned area, and the total shelf water volume within the sub region is the 

sum of these products for all stations within the region. Similarly, the average temperature and 

salinity was calculated in the shelf water layer at each station and multiplied by the total shelf 

water volume for that station. The sum of these products over all stations within a given subregion, divided by the total shelf water volume for the region, determines the volume-weighted 

average temperature and salinity. Anomalies in the property and volume of the shelf water mass 

are calculated relative to like variables derived from MARMAP hydrographic data, as described 

above. Hence, here regional anomalies are computed as the mathematical difference between 

regional averages, not an average of the anomalies computed for a given sub-region. 
3 

RESULTS 

Table 1 provides a listing of the NEFSC cruises that collected hydrographic data in 2010. 

In total, 1807 profiles of temperature and salinity were collected, processed and archived during 

the year. Combining the hydrographic data from multiple cruises into bi-monthly bins improves 

the spatial coverage compared with that of individual surveys, enabling us to examine the spatial 

and temporal patterns in hydrography over the region. Nonetheless, there are still significant 

gaps in several of the bi-monthly distribution maps shown in Figure 2, particularly in the Middle 

Atlantic Bight during July/August and in the Gulf of Maine during January/February and 

September/October. These gaps result in part from a misalignment between the bi-monthly 

periods and the longer bottom trawl surveys that work from south to north along the shelf. For 

instance, the September/October period encompass all but the final third of the fall ground fish 

survey, when sampling was focused in the Gulf of Maine. In some cases poor weather slowed 

sampling operations and shortened surveys. The August EcoMon survey worked from north to 

south, opposite normal operations, to improve temporal coverage in the Gulf of Maine. However, 

several days were lost to poor weather and an emergency evacuation, leaving large areas of the 

Middle Atlantic Bight unsampled. Heavy weather during the February EcoMon survey prevented 

sampling in the eastern Gulf of Maine. These large gaps in station coverage preclude the 

calculation of a representative regional average surface/bottom temperature and salinity value 

during July/August in the southern MAB and during January/February in the eastern Gulf of 

Maine (Tables 2 and 3, Figures 3 and 4). While station coverage is better during all other 

periods, not all of the average properties reported are true area-weighted averages representative 

of the entire region. Those cases are flagged in Tables 2 and 3 and the reader should keep this in 

mind when interpreting results. 

Overall, surface conditions along the entire Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf were warm 

and fresh in 2010 relative to the reference period, except in the southern MAB where 

temperatures were near reference values (Figures 3 and 4). Freshening was greatest in the surface 

waters of the western Gulf of Maine and southern MAB, suggesting some influence from local 

fresh water sources in these regions (Figure 4). Bottom waters were uniformly warm throughout 

the year in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank (Figure 3). Weaker warming was observed in 

the northern MAB and bottom temperatures were near reference values in the southern MAB. 

Freshening was observed near the bottom on Georges Bank and in the Middle Atlantic Bight. 

Bottom waters in the western Gulf of Maine were fresher than normal early in the year, 

becoming saltier than normal later in the year. Surprisingly, bottom waters in the eastern Gulf of 

Maine were not significantly different than the reference salinity at any point in the year despite 

the fact that deep inflow to the Gulf of Maine was warmer and saltier in 2010, close to the upper 

limit of the historical range. Compared with the reference period, the shelf water in the MAB 

was up to 0.5 units fresher than was observed during the MARMAP period (shelf water is 

defined by salinities less than 34; Figure 5). The shelf water temperature fluctuated between 

warm and cold anomalies during 2010 but the volume was high relative to the reference period 

throughout the year. This suggests that the shelf/slope front was consistently located offshore of 

its position during the MARMAP period (Figure 5). 

Details related to the temporal trends in Figures 3 and 4 are explored in surface and 

bottom property distribution maps (Figures 6-11). Maps of surface temperature reveal the 

seasonal cycle of warming and cooling over the region, with warmest temperatures observed at 

the surface during late summer (Figure 6-11a). Even though regional averages indicate warming 

over most of the region relative to the MARMAP reference period, the details of this warming 
4 

varies from region to region. Surface temperature anomaly maps in the Gulf of Maine tend to be 

uniformly warm, with the exception of January/February. By contrast, maps in the MAB are less 

uniform, characterized by a mixture of warmer and colder anomalies (Figures 6-11b). Maps of 

surface salinity show the seasonal influence of freshwater discharge in the nearshore regions, 

with the freshest waters appearing very near the coast in the eastern Gulf of Maine and MAB in 

March/April followed by more wide-spread freshening over these regions in May/June (Figures 

7a and 8a). While overall surface waters were fresher than normal in 2010, the largest anomalies 

were observed near the coast in the vicinity of major freshwater sources (e.g. western Gulf of 

Maine, Hudson River, Delaware and Chesapeake Bays) during periods of maximum spring 

discharge (March/April and May/June; Figures 7b and 8b). 

Maps of near bottom salinity and salinity anomaly suggest that the freshening that is 

observed at the surface penetrates to the bottom on Georges Bank and throughout the MAB 

(Figures 4 and 6-11). However, the same is not true in the Gulf of Maine where slope water 

dominates the lower layer properties. Near-bottom temperature and salinity anomalies in 

Northeast Channel and in the deep basins of the GoM suggest that the slope water was warmer 

and saltier from March through June during 2010 (Figures 7b and 8b). 

Maps of near-bottom temperature show the seasonal formation of the cold pool in the 

Middle Atlantic Bight, with coldest temperatures observed during the May/June period (Figure 

8a). The accompanying maps of near-bottom temperature anomaly suggest that temperatures in 

the cold pool were colder than normal, particularly in the vicinity of the temperature minimum 

and along the shelf to the south (Figure 8b). By September/October the cold pool has begun to 

weaken and warm, becoming less coherent in the central MAB (Figure 10a). Localized cold 

anomalies scattered along the axis of the temperature minimum (Figure 10b) are indicative of 

interannual variations in the erosion of this feature. By November/December, the cold pool is 

completely eroded and near-bottom shelf temperatures in the southern MAB are warmer than 

normal (Figure 11a and 11b). 

The erosion of the cold pool in late summer is preceded by warming of bottom waters 

near the coast in September/October (Figure 10a). This is consistent with historical observations 

in this region, which indicate that by late summer the effects of seasonal heating extend all the 

way to the ocean bottom in the near-shore regions (Castelao et al., 2010). The anomaly fields 

shown in Figure 10b suggest that waters near the bottom were up to 2 degrees warmer in latesummer 2010 than during the reference period. 

Based on the climate summaries compiled by the Northeast Regional Climate Center 

(http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu), the air temperature across the Northeastern U.S. was warmer than 

the long term mean throughout the year except December (Figure 12). The annual cycle of 

heating and cooling in 2010 was aligned with the long-term annual cycle but warming was 

enhanced during spring (up to 5F warmer in March and April), remaining warm through late 

summer (September). This timing is coincident with the largest surface temperature anomalies 

on the Northeast U.S. Shelf (Figure 3). Overall, the annual mean air temperature across the 

Northeastern U.S. was almost 2F warmer than long-term annual mean values. 

According to the Northeast Regional Climate Center records, the annual mean 

precipitation over the Northeastern U.S. was near normal, although several months recorded 

significant departures from the long-term average (referenced to 1971-2000). Precipitation was 

almost 1.5” above normal in March and nearly 2.5” above normal in October 2010. The increase 

in March may account in part for the fresh surface conditions observed in the March/April time 

period, particularly in regions where freshwater discharge has a significant influence (e.g. 
5 

western Gulf of Maine and southern MAB; Figure 4). However, a more thorough analysis would 

be needed to discriminate between local freshening due to precipitation and river run-off and 

freshening due to advection from remote sources. Anomaly maps suggest that a saltier variety of 

near-bottom waters may have been entering the eastern Gulf of Maine through Northeast 

Channel and along the southwestern Scotian Shelf during May/June (Figure 8b). These saltier 

source waters mix vertically with surface waters within the Gulf of Maine, including the near 

surface and inshore waters where freshening due to increased precipitation will be greatest. 

REFERENCES CITED 

Castelao R, Glenn S, Schofield O. 2010. Temperature, salinity, and density variability in the 

central Middle Atlantic Bight. Journal of Geophysical Research, 115, C10005, 

doi:10.1029/2009JC006082. 

Holzwarth TJ, Mountain DG. 1990. Surface and Bottom Temperature Distributions from the 

Northeast Fisheries Center Spring and Fall Bottom Trawl Survey Program, 1963-1987. 

NEFSC Reference Document 90-03, 62 pp. 

Mountain DG, Holzwarth TJ. 1989. Surface and Bottom Temperature Distribution for the 

Northeast Continental Shelf. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-F/NEC-73, 55 pp. 

Available from: NOAA Fisheries, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543. 

Mountain DG. 2003. Variability in the properties of Shelf Water in the Middle Atlantic Bight, 

1977-1999. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108, 3014, doi:10.1029/2001JC001044, 

(14-)1-11. 

Mountain DG, Taylor MH, Bascuñán C. 2004. Revised procedures for calculating regional 

average water properties for Northeast Fisheries Science Center cruises. NEFSC 

Reference Document 04-08, 53pp. 

Northeast Regional Climate Center. Seasonal Climate Summary Tables [Internet]. Cornell 

University. [cited 2011 March 31]. Available from: http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/. 
6 

Table 1. Listing of 2010 NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center cruises supported by the 

Oceanography Branch. 

Cruise Program Dates Region(s)1 Gear Casts

DEL1001 EcoMon/NASA 2 - 18 Feb 

MAB, GB, 

West GOM 

SBE2

-19+ , 

9/11+ 131 

DEL1002 NOAA/LMRCSC 28 Feb - 5 Mar MAB SBE-19 12 

HB1002 Spring Bottom Trawl 28 Feb - 2 May Full Shelf SBE-19+ 390 

S1001 Scallop Survey 12 May - 30 Jun MAB, GB SBE-9/11+ 141 

DEL1004 EcoMon/NASA 26 May - 9 Jun Full Shelf SBE-19, 9/11+ 196 

DEL1009 EcoMon 19 Aug - 1 Sep 

North MAB, 

GB, GOM SBE-19+ 109 

HB1005 Fall Bottom Trawl 9 Sep - 3 Dec Full Shelf SBE-19+ 356 

DEL1010 Hydro Acoustic Survey 11 Sep - 21 Oct GB, GOM SBE-19+ 146 

DEL1011 Benthic Habitat 27 - 30 Oct GB SBE-19+ 73 

DEL1012 EcoMon/NASA 5 Nov - 5 Dec Full Shelf 

SBE-19+, 

9/11+ 253 

1 Regional Abbreviations: Gulf of Maine (GOM), Georges Bank (GB), Mid Atlantic Bight 

(MAB) 

2

 Seabird Electronics (SBE) 
7 

Table 2. 2010 regional average surface and bottom temperature values computed from CTD data 

that were sorted into six 2-month time periods for the five regions of the Northeast U.S. 

continental shelf. Boundaries of Gulf of Maine East (GOME), Gulf of Maine West (GOMW), Georges 

Bank (GB), Mid Atlantic Bight North (MABN), and Mid Atlantic Bight South (MABS) are shown in 

Figure 1. 

SURFACE BOTTOM

Region CD #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

January-February

GOME 46 2 4.59 -0.45 0.69 5.75 1 2 6.48 0.10 0.64 7.05 1

GOMW 47 37 4.74 0.07 0.19 0.99 1 31 5.49 0.83 0.18 1.33 1

GB 45 30 5.40 -0.16 0.21 0.60 0 27 5.82 -0.07 0.25 1.11 0

MABN 38 15 5.70 -0.39 0.32 1.54 1 13 6.52 0.19 0.34 2.06 1

MABS 42 44 6.05 0.34 0.20 0.77 1 37 5.77 0.82 0.22 0.88 1

March-April

GOME 105 31 5.25 0.44 0.17 0.92 0 28 7.77 1.14 0.19 0.79 0

GOMW 112 51 7.05 1.60 0.15 0.92 0 51 6.10 1.00 0.13 0.70 0

GB 98 57 6.80 1.67 0.14 1.44 0 45 6.58 1.43 0.17 0.95 0

MABN 82 55 6.08 1.61 0.18 1.48 0 47 5.93 0.86 0.22 1.46 0

MABS 68 93 5.71 -0.04 0.14 1.47 0 77 5.38 -0.36 0.17 1.32 0

May-June

GOME 162 31 11.64 1.84 0.17 3.17 1 25 8.55 0.42 0.19 4.27 1

GOMW 158 44 13.25 2.37 0.18 1.65 0 93 6.90 0.98 0.18 2.93 1

GB 160 92 11.51 1.37 0.12 1.39 0 75 9.04 0.81 0.14 1.66 0

MABN 151 49 13.87 1.78 0.20 1.70 0 43 7.75 0.62 0.22 1.37 0

MABS 144 90 14.88 0.33 0.14 1.09 0 84 8.68 -0.53 0.16 1.68 0

July-August

GOME 234 19 16.74 1.74 0.25 1.40 0 14 9.05 0.71 0.27 1.86 0

GOMW 234 23 18.40 1.60 0.22 1.53 0 21 7.59 1.22 0.19 1.20 0

GB 241 41 18.73 2.54 0.18 1.48 0 36 12.53 0.24 0.17 1.89 1

MABN 243 3 23.42 4.23 0.74 0.36 1 2 9.76 -1.29 0.97 2.52 1

MABS

September-October

GOME 282 68 14.51 0.10 0.12 1.98 1 67 9.91 -0.09 0.12 3.05 1

GOMW 280 85 14.28 0.51 0.12 1.71 1 82 8.16 1.79 0.10 2.48 1

GB 294 144 14.30 0.01 0.14 0.99 0 125 12.78 0.39 0.18 1.53 0

MABN 280 65 17.90 0.78 0.17 1.43 0 50 13.70 1.26 0.22 1.82 0

MABS 260 94 21.84 -0.04 0.13 1.11 0 80 14.78 0.62 0.16 1.95 0

November-December

GOME 318 36 10.82 0.40 0.16 0.60 0 31 9.61 1.16 0.18 1.14 0

GOMW 322 94 10.30 0.57 0.13 0.60 0 86 8.83 1.48 0.11 0.82 0

GB 325 57 12.38 0.78 0.14 1.72 0 50 11.98 0.98 0.16 1.56 0

MABN 320 41 12.87 -0.20 0.23 0.87 0 36 12.64 -0.02 0.25 0.99 0

MABS 312 43 14.89 -0.34 0.21 0.65 0 38 14.45 -0.03 0.22 0.93 1

"Region", the geographic region of the northeast continental shelf: "CD", the calendar mid-date of all the stations within a region 

 for a time period: "#obs", the number of observations included in each average: "Temp", the areal average temperature: "Anomaly", the 

areal average temperature anomalies: "SDV1",the standard deviation associated with the average temperature anomaly: 

"SDV2", the standard deviation of the individual anomalies from which the average anomaly was derived: 

"Flag", a value of "1" indicates that a true areal average could not be calculated due to poor station coverage. The areal averages

 listed were derived from a simple average of the observations within the region.

 
8 

Table 3. 2010 regional average surface and bottom salinity values computed from CTD data that 

were sorted into six 2-month time periods for the five regions of the Northeast U.S. continental 

shelf. Boundaries of Gulf of Maine East (GOME), Gulf of Maine West (GOMW), Georges Bank (GB), 

Mid Atlantic Bight North (MABN), and Mid Atlantic Bight South (MABS) are shown in Figure 1. 

SURFACE BOTTOM

Region CD #obs Salt Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Salt Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

January-February

GOME 46 2 32.55 -0.57 0.43 2.63 1 2 33.48 -0.20 0.41 3.01 1

GOMW 47 37 32.57 -0.28 0.13 0.45 1 31 32.89 -0.30 0.11 0.56 1

GB 45 30 32.94 -0.13 0.12 0.29 0 27 33.09 -0.13 0.15 0.43 0

MABN 38 15 33.02 -0.14 0.23 0.88 1 13 33.37 -0.11 0.20 0.86 1

MABS 42 43 33.24 0.11 0.15 0.50 1 36 33.31 0.25 0.14 0.45 1

March-April

GOME 105 31 31.83 -0.69 0.12 0.42 0 28 33.99 0.00 0.10 0.45 0

GOMW 112 51 31.60 -0.88 0.10 0.43 0 51 33.05 -0.31 0.08 0.39 0

GB 98 57 32.84 -0.16 0.09 0.75 0 45 32.92 -0.24 0.10 0.46 0

MABN 82 55 32.39 -0.50 0.12 2.49 0 47 32.89 -0.47 0.13 0.47 0

MABS 68 93 32.81 -0.36 0.11 2.22 0 77 33.18 -0.31 0.10 0.54 0

May-June

GOME 162 31 32.00 -0.51 0.11 0.82 1 25 33.33 -0.04 0.11 1.13 1

GOMW 158 44 31.44 -0.61 0.12 0.43 0 93 33.20 -0.25 0.10 0.78 1

GB 160 92 32.26 -0.56 0.07 0.30 0 75 32.63 -0.45 0.09 0.40 0

MABN 151 49 31.91 -0.51 0.13 0.31 0 43 32.66 -0.47 0.13 0.43 0

MABS 144 89 31.39 -0.82 0.11 0.62 0 84 32.58 -0.72 0.10 0.47 0

July-August

GOME 234 19 32.22 -0.15 0.19 0.34 0 14 34.23 -0.02 0.15 0.37 0

GOMW 234 23 31.81 -0.17 0.14 0.34 0 21 33.42 0.09 0.12 0.37 0

GB 241 41 32.32 -0.32 0.11 0.43 0 36 32.51 -0.30 0.10 0.71 1

MABN 243 3 33.74 0.82 0.45 0.32 1 2 33.00 -0.37 0.55 0.90 1

MABS

September-October

GOME 282 68 32.21 -0.26 0.08 0.85 1 67 33.71 0.01 0.07 0.82 1

GOMW 280 83 32.21 -0.13 0.08 0.77 1 82 33.85 0.25 0.06 0.71 1

GB 294 144 32.39 -0.38 0.08 0.35 0 125 32.84 -0.22 0.11 0.36 0

MABN 280 65 32.60 -0.15 0.11 0.66 0 50 32.98 -0.34 0.13 0.51 0

MABS 260 94 32.42 0.14 0.10 0.79 0 80 32.80 -0.46 0.10 0.71 0

November-December

GOME 318 36 32.71 -0.01 0.11 0.33 0 31 34.28 -0.02 0.10 0.35 0

GOMW 322 94 32.87 0.07 0.08 0.26 0 86 33.73 0.13 0.06 0.24 0

GB 325 57 33.04 0.20 0.09 0.66 0 50 33.22 0.23 0.09 0.57 0

MABN 320 41 32.57 -0.39 0.15 0.35 0 36 32.94 -0.46 0.15 0.47 0

MABS 312 43 32.51 -0.32 0.16 0.92 0 38 32.81 -0.25 0.14 0.57 1

"Region", the geographic region of the northeast continental shelf: "CD", the calendar mid-date of all the stations within a region 

 for a time period: "#obs", the number of observations included in each average: "Salt", the areal average salinity: "Anomaly", the 

areal average salinity anomalies: "SDV1",the standard deviation associated with the average salinity anomaly: 

"SDV2", the standard deviation of the individual anomalies from which the average anomaly was derived: 

"Flag", a value of "1" indicates that a true areal average could not be calculated due to poor station coverage. The areal averages

 listed were derived from a simple average of the observations within the region.
9 

Figure 1. Region designations for the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf: Gulf of Maine (GOM), 

Georges Bank (GB), Mid Atlantic Bight (MAB). The 100 m and 200 m isobaths are also shown. 
10 

Figure 2. 2010 station distributions for each 2-month time period. The regional boundaries are 

also overlain. Contours indicate the 100 and 200-meter isobaths. 

 
11 

Figure 3. Time series of the 2010 regional surface (left) and bottom (right) temperatures (blue) and 

anomalies (bars) as a function of calendar day. Error bars are indicated for the anomaly estimates. 

 
12 

Figure 4. Time series of the 2010 regional surface (left) and bottom (right) salinities (blue) and 

anomalies (bars) as a function of calendar day. Error bars are indicated for the anomaly estimates. 
13 

Figure 5. Time series of the 2010 regional shelf water temperature, salinity, and volume as a 

function of calendar day shown in blue for the southern (left) and northern (right) Middle Atlantic 

Bight. The vertical bars show the corresponding shelf water anomalies. 
14 

Figure 6a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) 

distributions during January-February 2010. Temperature and salinity are contoured in increments 

of 1oC and 0.5, respectively. The 34 isohaline is denoted by the heavier contour. 
15 

Figure 6b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during January-February 2010. Temperature and salinity anomaly are contoured in 

increments of 1oC and 0.5, respectively. 
16 

Figure 7a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) 

distributions during March-April 2010. Temperature and salinity are contoured in increments of 

1oC and 0.5, respectively. The 34 isohaline is denoted by the heavier contour. 
17 

Figure 7b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during March-April 2010. Temperature and salinity anomaly are contoured in 

increments of 1oC and 0.5, respectively. 
18 

Figure 8a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) 

distributions during May-June 2010.Temperature and salinity are contoured in increments of 1oC 

and 0.5, respectively. The 34 isohaline is denoted by the heavier contour. 
19 

Figure 8b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during May-June 2010. Temperature and salinity anomaly are contoured in 

increments of 1oC and 0.5, respectively. 
20 

Figure 9a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) 

distributions during July-August 2010.Temperature and salinity are contoured in increments of 

1oC and 0.5, respectively. The 34 isohaline is denoted by the heavier contour. 
21 

Figure 9b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during July-August 2010.Temperature and salinity anomaly are contoured in 

increments of 1oC and 0.5, respectively. 
22 

Figure 10a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) 

distributions during September-October 2010.Temperature and salinity are contoured in 

increments of 1oC and 0.5, respectively. The 34 isohaline is denoted by the heavier contour. 
23 

Figure 10b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during September-October 2010.Temperature and salinity anomaly are contoured in 

increments of 1oC and 0.5, respectively. 
24 

Figure 11a. Near-surface (top) and near-bottom (bottom) temperature (left) and salinity (right) 

distributions during November-December 2010.Temperature and salinity are contoured in 

increments of 1oC and 0.5, respectively. The 34 isohaline is denoted by the heavier contour. 
25 

Figure 11b. Near-surface and near-bottom temperature anomaly (left) and salinity anomaly (right) 

distributions during November-December 2010.Temperature and salinity anomaly are contoured 

in increments of 1oC and 0.5, respectively. 
26 

Figure 12. Monthly mean air temperature over the northeastern United States for the years 1971-

2000 (black) and 2010 (red), plotted from climate summary data compiled by the Northeast 

Regional Climate Center (http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu). The northeast region encompasses coastal 

states from Maine to Maryland and inland states west to West Virginia. 

 
27 

APPENDIX 

Table A1. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that 

sampled within the eastern Gulf of Maine (boundaries defined in Figure 1.) Average values 

incorporating less than 10 observations are shown in gray. 

Gulf of Maine East

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 46 2 4.59 ‐0.45 0.69 5.75 1 2 6.48 0.10 0.64 7.05 1

HB1002 105 31 5.25 0.44 0.17 0.92 0 28 7.77 1.14 0.19 0.79 0

DEL1004 158 22 10.93 1.44 0.21 1.67 1 16 8.55 1.28 0.24 2.19 1

S11001 172 9 13.37 3.29 0.31 6.92 1 9 8.55 ‐1.90 0.30 7.32 1

DEL1009 234 19 16.74 1.74 0.25 1.40 0 14 9.05 0.71 0.27 1.86 0

DEL1010 263 35 16.18 0.57 0.17 1.24 1 35 8.81 0.96 0.16 2.24 1

DEL1011 301 26 12.82 ‐0.47 0.18 0.53 1 26 11.55 ‐1.39 0.18 1.85 1

HB1005 313 26 11.23 0.25 0.19 0.60 0 26 9.59 1.14 0.20 1.12 0

DEL1012 323 16 10.65 0.67 0.23 0.61 0 11 9.54 1.12 0.27 1.37 0

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 46 2 32.55 ‐0.57 0.43 2.63 1 2 33.48 ‐0.20 0.41 3.01 1

HB1002 105 31 31.83 ‐0.69 0.12 0.42 0 28 33.99 0.00 0.10 0.45 0

DEL1004 158 22 32.00 ‐0.44 0.14 0.68 1 16 33.82 0.08 0.14 1.01 1

S11001 172 9 31.99 ‐0.79 0.18 1.30 1 9 32.46 ‐0.35 0.18 1.37 1

DEL1009 234 19 32.22 ‐0.15 0.19 0.34 0 14 34.23 ‐0.02 0.15 0.37 0

DEL1010 263 35 32.12 ‐0.24 0.11 0.79 1 35 34.50 0.16 0.10 0.79 1

DEL1011 301 26 32.22 ‐0.38 0.11 0.12 1 26 32.43 ‐0.20 0.11 0.21 1

HB1005 313 26 32.79 0.04 0.13 0.38 0 26 34.48 0.06 0.10 0.33 0

DEL1012 323 16 32.74 0.09 0.16 0.26 0 11 34.12 0.00 0.15 0.36 0

"Cruise", the code name for a cruise: 

CD, the calendar mid‐date of all the stations within a region for that cruise:

"#obs", the number of observations included in each average: 

"Temp", the areal average temperature: "Salt", the areal average salinity:

Anomaly, the areal average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV1",the standard deviation associated with the average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV2", the standard deviation of the individual anomalies from which the average anomaly was derived:

Flag, a value of "1" indicates that a true areal average could not be calculated due to poor station coverage. 

The areal averages listed were derived from a simple average of the observations within the region.
28 

Table A2. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that 

sampled within the western Gulf of Maine (boundaries defined in Figure 1.) Average values 

incorporating less than 10 observations are shown in gray. 

Gulf of Maine West

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 47 37 4.74 0.07 0.19 0.99 1 31 5.49 0.83 0.18 1.33 1

HB1002 113 56 7.04 1.56 0.15 0.93 0 55 6.11 1.01 0.13 0.69 0

DEL1004 158 27 13.36 2.49 0.19 0.90 0 48 6.93 1.10 0.19 1.67 1

S11001 178 13 16.06 3.06 0.31 4.63 1 13 6.96 0.70 0.28 4.86 1

DEL1009 234 23 18.40 1.60 0.22 1.53 0 21 7.59 1.22 0.19 1.20 0

DEL1010 280 82 14.33 0.53 0.12 0.69 1 79 8.09 1.84 0.10 1.32 1

HB1005 318 44 10.74 0.54 0.16 0.71 0 43 8.93 1.42 0.14 0.94 0

DEL1012 329 54 9.66 0.59 0.15 2.23 1 47 8.88 1.43 0.15 2.22 1

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 47 37 32.57 ‐0.28 0.13 0.45 1 31 32.89 ‐0.30 0.11 0.56 1

HB1002 113 56 31.60 ‐0.87 0.10 0.41 0 55 33.04 ‐0.30 0.07 0.41 0

DEL1004 158 27 31.41 ‐0.64 0.12 0.40 0 48 33.27 ‐0.11 0.11 0.75 1

S11001 178 13 31.61 ‐0.42 0.18 0.87 1 13 32.38 ‐0.43 0.16 0.92 1

DEL1009 234 23 31.81 ‐0.17 0.14 0.34 0 21 33.42 0.09 0.12 0.37 0

DEL1010 280 80 32.21 ‐0.12 0.08 0.52 1 79 33.87 0.25 0.06 0.48 1

HB1005 318 44 32.81 0.05 0.11 0.32 0 43 33.74 0.14 0.08 0.29 0

DEL1012 329 54 32.76 0.00 0.10 0.88 1 47 33.45 0.12 0.08 0.79 1

"Cruise", the code name for a cruise: 

CD, the calendar mid‐date of all the stations within a region for that cruise:

"#obs", the number of observations included in each average: 

"Temp", the areal average temperature: "Salt", the areal average salinity:

Anomaly, the areal average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV1",the standard deviation associated with the average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV2", the standard deviation of the individual anomalies from which the average anomaly was derived:

Flag, a value of "1" indicates that a true areal average could not be calculated due to poor station coverage. 

The areal averages listed were derived from a simple average of the observations within the region.
29 

Table A3. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that 

sampled within the Georges Bank area (boundaries defined in Figure 1.) Average values 

incorporating less than 10 observations are shown in gray. 

Georges Bank

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 45 30 5.40 ‐0.16 0.21 0.60 0 27 5.82 ‐0.07 0.25 1.11 0

HB1002 98 58 6.81 1.67 0.14 1.42 0 46 6.60 1.43 0.16 0.93 0

DEL1004 154 42 10.96 1.27 0.16 0.90 0 28 8.65 0.71 0.22 1.10 0

S11001 167 49 12.13 1.51 0.17 1.72 0 46 9.15 0.87 0.18 1.94 0

DEL1009 241 41 18.73 2.54 0.18 1.48 0 36 12.53 0.24 0.17 1.88 1

DEL1010 269 19 15.67 0.63 0.21 0.69 1 18 12.05 ‐0.84 0.22 2.34 1

HB1005 298 56 13.97 ‐0.08 0.14 1.27 0 38 12.67 0.46 0.19 1.08 0

DEL1011 302 71 12.79 ‐0.43 0.11 0.27 1 71 12.20 ‐0.66 0.11 0.95 1

DEL1012 326 56 12.32 0.80 0.14 1.73 0 49 11.94 0.98 0.16 1.63 0

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 45 30 32.94 ‐0.13 0.12 0.29 0 27 33.09 ‐0.13 0.15 0.43 0

HB1002 98 58 32.83 ‐0.17 0.08 0.75 0 46 32.91 ‐0.24 0.10 0.47 0

DEL1004 154 42 32.30 ‐0.55 0.10 0.27 0 28 32.52 ‐0.57 0.13 0.47 0

S11001 167 49 32.16 ‐0.58 0.10 0.33 0 46 32.64 ‐0.39 0.11 0.38 0

DEL1009 241 41 32.32 ‐0.32 0.11 0.43 0 36 32.51 ‐0.30 0.10 0.71 1

DEL1010 269 19 32.19 ‐0.35 0.13 0.12 1 18 32.61 ‐0.12 0.13 0.35 1

HB1005 298 56 32.41 ‐0.36 0.09 0.37 0 38 32.90 ‐0.21 0.11 0.42 0

DEL1011 302 71 32.25 ‐0.36 0.06 0.06 1 71 32.36 ‐0.27 0.06 0.11 1

DEL1012 326 56 33.04 0.20 0.09 0.68 0 49 33.24 0.23 0.09 0.60 0

"Cruise", the code name for a cruise: 

CD, the calendar mid‐date of all the stations within a region for that cruise:

"#obs", the number of observations included in each average: 

"Temp", the areal average temperature: "Salt", the areal average salinity:

Anomaly, the areal average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV1",the standard deviation associated with the average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV2", the standard deviation of the individual anomalies from which the average anomaly was derived:

Flag, a value of "1" indicates that a true areal average could not be calculated due to poor station coverage. 

The areal averages listed were derived from a simple average of the observations within the region.
30 

Table A4. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that 

sampled within the northern Middle Atlantic Bight (boundaries defined in Figure 1.) Average 

values incorporating less than 10 observations are shown in gray. 

Northern Mid Atlantic Bight

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 38 15 5.70 ‐0.39 0.32 1.52 1 13 6.52 0.19 0.34 1.89 1

HB1002 84 56 6.16 1.60 0.17 1.45 0 48 6.01 0.88 0.22 1.44 0

DEL1004 150 34 13.83 1.92 0.23 1.11 0 28 7.90 0.76 0.25 1.59 0

S11001 156 14 14.59 1.48 0.34 1.92 1 14 7.15 0.30 0.33 2.26 1

DEL1009 244 7 22.62 3.80 0.46 0.63 1 6 10.41 ‐0.94 0.50 1.08 1

HB1005 282 61 17.60 0.62 0.17 1.31 0 46 13.81 1.26 0.22 1.73 0

DEL1012 320 41 12.87 ‐0.20 0.23 0.84 0 36 12.64 ‐0.02 0.25 1.00 0

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 38 15 33.02 ‐0.14 0.23 0.83 1 13 33.37 ‐0.11 0.20 0.77 1

HB1002 84 56 32.34 ‐0.54 0.11 2.44 0 48 32.85 ‐0.50 0.13 0.47 0

DEL1004 150 34 31.95 ‐0.49 0.15 0.29 0 28 32.65 ‐0.49 0.16 0.56 0

S11001 156 14 31.67 ‐0.46 0.22 0.83 1 14 32.72 ‐0.28 0.20 0.55 1

DEL1009 244 7 33.03 0.44 0.28 0.53 1 6 32.73 ‐0.37 0.31 0.41 1

HB1005 282 61 32.58 ‐0.17 0.11 0.65 0 46 33.00 ‐0.34 0.14 0.54 0

DEL1012 320 41 32.57 ‐0.39 0.15 0.36 0 36 32.94 ‐0.46 0.15 0.47 0

"Cruise", the code name for a cruise: 

CD, the calendar mid‐date of all the stations within a region for that cruise:

"#obs", the number of observations included in each average: 

"Temp", the areal average temperature: "Salt", the areal average salinity:

Anomaly, the areal average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV1",the standard deviation associated with the average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV2", the standard deviation of the individual anomalies from which the average anomaly was derived:

Flag, a value of "1" indicates that a true areal average could not be calculated due to poor station coverage. 

The areal averages listed were derived from a simple average of the observations within the region.
31 

Table A5. 2010 regional average temperature and salinity values for individual cruises that 

sampled within the southern Middle Atlantic Bight (boundaries defined in Figure 1.) Average 

values incorporating less than 10 observations are shown in gray. 

Southern Mid Atlantic Bight

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Temp Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 37 33 6.35 0.36 0.23 0.85 1 30 6.31 0.85 0.24 0.83 1

DEL1002 60 9 7.69 ‐0.07 0.42 0.87 1 2 5.69 ‐0.21 0.94 2.51 1

HB1002 68 96 5.59 ‐0.07 0.13 1.44 0 82 5.32 ‐0.33 0.16 1.32 0

S11001 136 52 12.66 0.16 0.18 0.75 1 51 6.99 ‐0.86 0.20 1.13 1

DEL1004 149 65 16.02 0.42 0.19 1.18 1 35 9.48 ‐0.45 0.23 1.65 1

HB1005 260 94 21.84 ‐0.04 0.13 1.11 0 80 14.78 0.62 0.16 1.95 0

DEL1012 312 43 14.89 ‐0.34 0.21 0.65 0 38 14.45 ‐0.03 0.22 0.93 1

Surface Bottom

Cruise CD #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag #obs Salinity Anomaly SDV1 SDV2 Flag

DEL1001 37 32 33.37 0.17 0.18 0.53 1 29 33.51 0.32 0.15 0.44 1

DEL1002 60 9 34.13 0.00 0.29 0.34 1 2 33.98 0.49 0.58 1.49 1

HB1002 68 96 32.81 ‐0.32 0.10 2.19 0 82 33.16 ‐0.30 0.10 0.53 0

S11001 136 51 31.63 ‐1.03 0.13 0.41 1 51 33.16 ‐0.46 0.12 0.25 1

DEL1004 149 65 31.46 ‐0.68 0.15 0.46 1 35 32.18 ‐0.87 0.14 0.36 1

HB1005 260 94 32.42 0.14 0.10 0.79 0 80 32.80 ‐0.46 0.10 0.71 0

DEL1012 312 43 32.51 ‐0.32 0.16 0.92 0 38 32.81 ‐0.25 0.14 0.57 1

"Cruise", the code name for a cruise: 

CD, the calendar mid‐date of all the stations within a region for that cruise:

"#obs", the number of observations included in each average: 

"Temp", the areal average temperature: "Salt", the areal average salinity:

Anomaly, the areal average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV1",the standard deviation associated with the average temperature or salinity anomaly:

"SDV2", the standard deviation of the individual anomalies from which the average anomaly was derived:

Flag, a value of "1" indicates that a true areal average could not be calculated due to poor station coverage. 

The areal averages listed were derived from a simple average of the observations within the region.
32 

Table A6. 2010 temperature, salinity, and volume of the shelf water (SHW) in the Middle-Atlantic 

Bight North (MABN) and South (MABS) during 2010. The shelf water is defined as water within the 

upper 100 meters having salinity less than 34. 

CD Temp Temp. Salt Salt SHW SHW SHW SHW SHW SHW Vol. 

 Anomaly Anomaly Temp T. Anom Salt S. Anom Volume Anomaly 

 MABN 

84 6.55 0.99 33.04 -0.30 5.78 1.29 32.72 -0.32 2107.10 29.67 

150 9.55 0.09 32.62 -0.60 9.39 0.60 32.47 -0.38 2390.77 470.85 

158 9.39 -0.61 32.37 -0.85 9.39 0.02 32.37 -0.46 2332.11 409.47 

283 15.60 0.61 33.48 -0.18 15.39 0.85 32.65 -0.28 1660.85 192.26 

323 12.76 -0.90 32.89 -0.84 12.51 -0.49 32.67 -0.38 2190.17 820.51 

 MABS 

37 7.93 -0.87 33.95 -0.22 5.37 -0.22 33.24 -0.02 1201.07 30.12 

69 6.87 -1.06 33.64 -0.35 5.50 0.37 33.13 -0.25 2221.52 909.73 

136 8.73 -1.31 32.66 -0.77 8.71 -0.80 32.62 -0.23 3793.67 1858.63 

150 11.27 0.29 32.55 -0.79 10.98 0.43 32.17 -0.52 2565.02 500.58 

260 16.68 0.25 33.43 -0.07 16.87 0.61 32.53 -0.39 2205.91 71.69 

312 14.94 0.24 33.37 -0.57 14.79 -0.16 32.79 -0.26 2099.04 461.76 
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For in-text citation, use the name-date system. A 

special effort should be made to ensure that all necessary bibliographic information is included in the list 

of cited works. Personal communications must include 

date, full name, and full mailing address of the contact.

Preparation

Once your document has cleared the review process, the Editorial Office will contact you with publication needs – for example, revised text (if necessary) and 

separate digital figures and tables if they are embedded 

in the document. Materials may be submitted to the 

Editorial Office as files on zip disks or CDs, email 

attachments, or intranet downloads. Text files should 

be in Microsoft Word, tables may be in Word or Excel, 

and graphics files may be in a variety of formats (JPG, 

GIF, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

Production and Distribution

The Editorial Office will perform a copy-edit of 

the document and may request further revisions. The 

Editorial Office will develop the inside and outside 

front covers, the inside and outside back covers, and 

the title and bibliographic control pages of the document.

Once both the PDF (print) and Web versions of 

the CRD are ready, the Editorial Office will contact 

you to review both versions and submit corrections or 

changes before the document is posted online.

A number of organizations and individuals in the 

Northeast Region will be notified by e-mail of the 

availability of the document online. 
Research Communications Branch

Northeast Fisheries Science Center

National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA

166 Water St.

Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026

Publications and Reports

of the

Northeast Fisheries Science Center

The mission of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is “stewardship of living marine resources 

for the benefit of the nation through their science-based conservation and management and promotion of the 

health of their environment.” As the research arm of the NMFS’s Northeast Region, the Northeast Fisheries 

Science Center (NEFSC) supports the NMFS mission by “conducting ecosystem-based research and assessments of living marine resources, with a focus on the Northeast Shelf, to promote the recovery and long-term 

sustainability of these resources and to generate social and economic opportunities and benefits from their use.” 

Results of NEFSC research are largely reported in primary scientific media (e.g., anonymously-peer-reviewed 

scientific journals). However, to assist itself in providing data, information, and advice to its constituents, the 

NEFSC occasionally releases its results in its own media. Currently, there are three such media:

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE -- This series is issued irregularly. The series typically includes: data reports of 

long-term field or lab studies of important species or habitats; synthesis reports for important species or habitats; annual reports 

of overall assessment or monitoring programs; manuals describing program-wide surveying or experimental techniques; literature 

surveys of important species or habitat topics; proceedings and collected papers of scientific meetings; and indexed and/or annotated 

bibliographies. All issues receive internal scientific review and most issues receive technical and copy editing.

Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document -- This series is issued irregularly. The series typically includes: data 

reports on field and lab studies; progress reports on experiments, monitoring, and assessments; background papers for, collected 

abstracts of, and/or summary reports of scientific meetings; and simple bibliographies. Issues receive internal scientific review and 

most issues receive copy editing.

Resource Survey Report (formerly Fishermen’s Report) -- This information report is a regularly-issued, quick-turnaround report on 

the distribution and relative abundance of selected living marine resources as derived from each of the NEFSC’s periodic research vessel surveys of the Northeast’s continental shelf. This report undergoes internal review, but receives no technical or copy editing.

TO OBTAIN A COPY of a NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE or a Northeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document, 

either contact the NEFSC Editorial Office (166 Water St., Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026; 508-495-2350) or consult the NEFSC webpage 

on “Reports and Publications” (http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/). To access Resource Survey Report, consult the Ecosystem 

Surveys Branch webpage (http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/femad/ecosurvey/mainpage/).

ANY USE OF TRADE OR BRAND NAMES IN ANY NEFSC PUBLICATION OR REPORT DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT.

MEDIA

 MAIL