The temperature and salinity distribution clearly define 

 the general circulation patterns between the Gulfof Anadyr and 

 the southern Chukchi Sea. The differential between surface 

 and bottom water was as large as 8.5°C and 1.5 "/„,, salinity in 

 the Gulf of Anadyr ( Fig. 1 A,B ) but decreased to less than 1 °C 

 and 0.5 "/,,,) in Chirikov basin after passing through Anadyr 

 Strait. The low salinity (Fig. 1C,D) Alaskan Coastal waters and 

 Bering Shelf waters maintain theireastem positions and reduced 

 salinities throughout northward transport (Coachman & 

 Shigaev, Subchapter 2.1, this volume). The relatively low 

 temperature bottom water denoted by the -1.5°C isotherm 

 delineates the cold high-salinity water formed during the 

 previous winter months by production of ice. The presence of 

 this cold water indicates the slow circulation velocities on the 

 eastern Bering Sea Shelf. Accumulation of benthic regeneration 

 products can occur in these waters. 



The nitrate content of the surface water (Fig. 2A) displays 

 a pattern of reduced concentrations where the waters are 

 stratified in the Gulf of Anadyr and Chukchi Sea. The largest 

 surface concentrations of nitrate occur in the Chirikov basin 

 after upwelling and mixing in Anadyr Strait, especially on the 

 west side along the Soviet coastline, and extend into the 

 southern Chukchi Sea. These very large surface concentrations 

 support the high primary production rates reported in the 

 Bering Strait region (Sambrotto et al.. 1984). Near bottom 

 nitrate concentrations (Fig. 2B) originating in the deep Bering 

 Sea provide a substantial part of the nitrogen to feed primary 

 production processes. The nitrate values larger than 

 30 |imole/l are quite unusual for a shallow shelf region; even 

 coastal upwelling regions seldom have greater than 

 1 5-20 fimole/l inside the shelf break. Concentrations of near 

 bottom nitrate above 30 |imole/l disappear at Anadyr Strait 



180 



175 



170 



165 



180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 



Fig. 1. The Mirlace (A) and bottom (B) distribution of temperatures (°C), surface (C) and bottom (D) distribution of salinity 

 ("/„, ) measured in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. 



40 



