Biogeochemical Characteristics in the Elefsis Bay (Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean) in Relation to Anoxia and Climate Changes

Historical data on physico-chemical and biological characteristics during the last 30 years were used to examine the seasonal nutrient and plankton dynamics in a semi-enclosed area of the Mediterranean Sea, Elefsis Bay, in phase with the development of intermittently hypoxic and anoxic conditions. Sediment records covering most of the Holocene showed that the area was affected by hypoxia and/or anoxia in the past. However, the occurrence of hypoxia in Elefsis Bay need not necessarily be attributed to anthropogenic activities but could be naturally driven by oceanographic – climate forcing.