Turnover time of waters in a deep basin in the Aegean Sea

The Western Gulf is a basin in the Saronikos Gulf. Below about 100 m the water is almost stagnant, essentially isothermal (around 14°C) and it has practically uniform salinity. The level and the mechanism of enrichment in nutrients is discussed. The age of the water estimated from nutrient budget calculations is between one and eight years. The replacement time of water is similar to that found in the Santa Barbara basin, but different from those of the Cariaco Trench and the Black Sea.