FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72, NO. 2 



situated in the center of the trawl grounds, were 

 examined. 



The water temperatures at, or closely below, the 

 75-m depth (Figure 1), and a number of sea surface 

 temperatures were collected during monthly 

 cruises of Israeli research vessels (Oren and Hor- 

 nung, 1972, and pers. comm.). During the 21 yr, 



many monthly cruises were not carried out, hence 

 the numerous gaps (Figure 2). 



Additional surface temperature data for the 

 period from 1958 to 1970 are monthly averages of 

 daily monitored temperatures at Ashdod. These 

 were supplied by the Coast Study Division of the 

 Israel Port Authority (pers. comm.). 



T°c 



26 

 25 



24 

 23 

 22 

 21 

 20 

 19 

 18 

 17 

 16 

 15 



J I I L. 



-i I I I I L 



J I L 



50 



52 



54 



56 



58 



60 



62 



64 



66 



68 



70 

 YEAR 



Figure 1. — Sea temperatures at depths of 75 m or below, collected during monthly cruises in or near the Tel 

 Aviv-Ashdod area between 1950 and 1970 (Oren and Hornung, pers. comm.). Dots - yearly maxima; cross - yearly 

 minima. In this graph each year begins in January. 



30 

 29 

 28 

 271- 



50/51 52/53 54/55 56/57 58/59 60/61 62/63 64/65 66/67 



68/69 



70/71 

 YEAR 



Figure 2. — Sea surface temperature. Top - summer maxima; bottom- winter minima. A - Data collected during 

 monthly cruises in the area of Tel Aviv-Ashdod (Oren and Hornung, pers. comm.); B - (dashed line) — monthly 

 means of daily collected data at Ashdod, inshore (Coastal Survey Unit, pers. comm.). Each year starts 1 September. 



362 



