We investigated potential connections over the past 2 decades between mesoscale circulation regimes in the Ionian Sea and newly observed species and the concurrent rise in sea temperature in the Adriatic Sea. Analyses of plankton samples from 1993 to 2011 in the southern Adriatic revealed marked changes in the non-crustacean zooplankton community. Eleven species were recorded for the first time in the Adriatic, while 3 species reappeared after years of absence. We found that pluriannual changes in the zooplankton community tracked the continuum of circulation regimes in the Northern Ionian Gyre (NIG). The occurrence of Atlantic/Western Mediterranean species coincided with anti-cyclonic circulation in the NIG, probably due to the advection of Modified Atlantic Water into the Adriatic, while the presence of Lessepsian species coincided with the cyclonic pattern, which governs the entry of Eastern Mediterranean waters. The impact has been that newcomers now make a significant contribution to the zooplankton community in the southern Adriatic and, in certain cases, have replaced native species. Our results provide new evidence of the influence of teleconnection processes between the North Atlantic and Eastern Mediterranean on the dynamics of water masses in the southern Adriatic. The synergistic effects of these processes, together with warmer Mediterranean waters, raise concerns over dramatic changes in the marine biodiversity of the Adriatic.
The fluid flow pattern and solids circulation rate in a liquid phase spout‐fluid bed with a draft tube were studied in a semi‐circular column 196 mm in diameter equipped with a semi‐circular draft tube 34.5 mm in diameter using water and spherical glass particles 1.20, 1.94 and 2.98 mm in diameter. Both the solids circulation rate and fluid distribution between the draft tube and the annulus are influenced by the location of the draft tube, the relative magnitude of the inlet spouting and annulus flowrates, and the total fluid flowrate entering the bed.
A one‐dimensional steady state model of vertical non‐accelerating liquid‐solids flow predicts the solids mass flux in the draft tube with a mean deviation of 12.3% when experimental values of the axial pressure gradients in the draft tube and annulus are specified. A simple correlation for the fountain height is also presented.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.