Figure I. — Location of temperature section monitored by the MV Bluenose from June 1975 through November 1976. Positions chosen for sea sur- 

 face temperature and salinity and bottom temperature plots are shown along the track. Depth in meters. 



1°C intervals, with additional 0.5°C isotherms drawn 

 where appropriate for clarity. 



Mean historical sections (Figs. 8-11), taken from 

 Chamberlin et al. (1976), were drawn for each month 

 from horizontal charts based on data collected between 

 1940 and 1959 for to 100 m (Colton and Stoddard 1972) 

 and on bottom temperature observations between 1940 

 and 1966 for waters deeper than 100 m (Colton and Stod- 

 dard 1973). Data were read from isotherm intersection 

 points along the tran.sect at 0-, 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, .50-, 75-, 

 and lOO-m depths. Linear interpolation was used 

 between the 100-m and the bottom temperature values. 

 Sections were drawn to coincide with sampling dates 

 from 18 June 1975 through 25 May 1976 (Table 1). Many 

 inconsi.stencies arose due to the scarcity of data for mean 

 sections, as the majority of bottom temperature data 

 were based on a single year's observations (Colton and 

 Stoddard 1973). For such reasons, the mean sections 

 should be used for general comparison only. 



Sea surface temperature and salinity and bottom tem- 

 peratures were plotted against time for three standard 

 locations across the Gulf of Maine (Figs. 12-14); off 



coastal Maine (lat. 44°15'N, long. 67°58'W), off coastal 

 Nova Scotia (lat. 43°47'N, long. 66°.30'W), and in the 

 center of the Gulf of Maine (lat. 44°00'N, long. 67°16'W) 

 as shown in Figure 1. As station positions d'd not always 

 coincide with the standard positions, the plotted values 

 were determined by linear interpolation for these 

 locations. 



RESULTS 



Temperature sections were organized by seasons: 

 Summer (June-August), Autumn (September-Novem- 

 ber), Winter (December-February), and Spring (March- 

 May) with mean historical sections similarly arranged to 

 allow for comparison. The descriptive results were listed 

 under the appropriate season and year. Analysis dealt 

 primarily with the seasonal trends and differences be- 

 tween summer and autumn 1975 and 1976. Additional 

 analysis was made of the sea surface salinity trend over 

 the 18-mo sampling period. The historical sections were 

 discussed fully by Chamberlin et al. 1976. 



