Temperature 



Daily sea surface water temperatures (Figure 1 9) were measured with an 

 NOS water sampler and thermometer. Monthly mean water temperatures (Table 

 8) varied with the air temperatures (see Table 2). 





Temoerature 





30.0- 



Year deg C 



X xl9S5 15.6 



0....0198Q-95 14.8 





25.0- 





o 





■ ■■^>^^^'^^^^^'^^'~^>>L' 



CP 





.■.jf'^^id-"! V^^ • 





20.0- 





<D 







i- 





■ // "' • \\ ■■ 



13 











// • \\ 



O 





J. '\ 



<u 



15.0- 



/^ ■ ' \ 



Cl 





y/. • ■ \ '. 



E 





■]/- ' --V- 



^ 





# A 



t_ 



10.0- 



yy- ■ V 



<D 













O 



■ 



N. - vy • 



5 





' '^-^'v^ ■ '- 





5.0- 



':' 





n n 







uu-t 1 - 1 T - 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 



JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 





Month 



Figure 19. Daily water temperature values with monthly means 



Visibility 



Visibility in coastal nearshore waters depends on the amount of salts, sol- 

 uble organic material, detritus, living organisms, and inorganic particles in the 

 water. These dissolved and suspended materials change the absorption and 

 attenuation characteristics of the water that vary daily and yearly. 



Visibihty was measured with a 0.3-m-diam Secchi disk, and similar to 

 water temperature, variation was related to onshore and offshore winds. Onshore 

 winds moved warm clear surface water toward shore, whereas offshore winds 



Chapter 6 Water Characteristics 



43 



