Seasonal and spatial variation of floc size, settling velocity, and density on the inner Adriatic Shelf (Italy)

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Measurements of floc sizes, floc settling velocities and effective floc densities were obtained at three locations on the inner Adriatic shelf (Italy) in February and May/June 2003 using the in situ size and settling column tripod INSSECT (Mikkelsen et al., 2004. INSSECT—an instrument platform for investigating floc properties close to the seabed. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods 2, 226–236). Measurements were carried out in a water depth of 8–12 m and the final data set comprised 2491 flocs. Relationships of observed floc size vs. floc settling velocity and floc size vs. effective floc density were similar to those observed by other authors working in similar settings. The raw data showed significant scatter around mean trends, indicating that only a relatively small fraction of variability in floc settling velocity and effective floc density was explained by floc size. For bin-averaged data, however, much of the variability in settling velocity and density was explained by floc size. On the Adriatic shelf mean floc settling velocities varied from 0.48 to 1.35 mm s −1, while mean effective floc densities varied from 8.1 to 27.5 kg m −3; within the range reported by other authors. Analysis of variance showed significant differences in floc settling velocities, effective floc densities and floc size in space and time (seasons). Thus, floc settling velocities, effective floc densities and floc size on the inner Adriatic shelf could not be characterized by a common mean, but were more appropriately characterized by a range of values, varying in time and space.