Hydrographic and dynamical characterisation of the Bagnoli-Coroglio Bay (Gulf of Naples, Tyrrhenian Sea)

Hydrographic and current measurements collected within the ABBaCo project during 3 basin-scale surveys in two different seasons and high-resolution regional ocean modelling data provide, for the first time, an assessment of the physical and dynamical oceanography inside the small but important Bagnoli-Coroglio Bay within the Gulf of Naples (Tyrrhenian Sea). Temperature and salinity distributions indicate the typical seasonal differences of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea with warmer temperature and a more stratified water column in June compared to October and December. Current measurements, along with realistic ocean circulation modelling, show a predominant barotropic anticyclonic circulation over the bay during Autumn, which appears to be generated mainly by the local wind stress curl. Sensitivity numerical experiments confirm that the variability of the local wind forcing plays a major role in shaping the dynamics inside the bay.