The dynamics of the Southern Adriatic is dominated by the presence of a quasi-permanent cyclonic gyre that in the winter season creates the conditions for the open-ocean convection and the production of dense and oxygenated waters. Studies show that two types of dense water formation processes occur during winter within the Adriatic Sea: the major portion of the Adriatic Deep Water (ADW) is formed through open ocean convection inside the Southern Adriatic Pit (SAP) within the cyclonic gyre, while the remaining dense water is formed on the continental shelf of the Northern and Middle Adriatic that moves southward and ultimately sinks to the bottom of the SAP ([Ovchinnikov et al. (1985)][Bignami et al. (1990)] [Malanotte-Rizzoli (1991)]). The eastern margin is characterized by the influence of the incoming water of Ionian origin which flow northward being restricted mainly to the continental slope. This area is interested by the Levantine Intermediate water (LIW) that occupies the layer between 150 and 600m.
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