Northern Adriatic phytoplankton response to short Po River discharge pulses during summer stratified conditions

A 275‐km‐long transversel Northern Adriatic profile from the mouth of the P o R iver (Italian Adriatic coast) to the K varner region (Croatian coastal island area) was investigated in three successive case studies in August 2008, 2009 and 2010. The short P o R iver pulses in A ugust result in the surface advection of riverine water, nutrients and phytoplankton from the western to the eastern side of the A driatic. This surface spreading exhibits inter‐annual variability depending on the riverine discharge in the preceding period. The P o R iver discharge pulse in A ugust 2010 in particular resulted in an extraordinary tongue‐like advection of riverine water, nutrients, and phytoplankton towards the E astern A driatic coast. The phenomenon was detected using both satellite imagery and classical oceanographic measurements. In the advective water, toxic dinoflagellates were most abundant in A ugust 2010, when the influence of the P o was greatest.