Environmental remote sensing of the Mediterranean Sea

Remote sensing provides an overview of environmental complexities in the Mediterranean region, relating to its natural setting and to water exchanges within the basin; to typical ecological processes and their key driving forces; to environmental problems faced by the main sub-basins. Statistics of pigment concentration, surface temperature, and wind speed, derived from historical archives, differentiate between geographical provinces shaped by dynamical and bio-geochemical patterns. These are areas under the direct influence of coastal interactions, regions of enhanced characteristics linked to the impact of continental margins and/or prevailing winds, and open sea areas, characterized by frontal structures and mesoscale eddies. Features such as river plumes, filaments, and permanent gyres maintain their characteristics over time. The main trends in the provinces indicate two seasons of extreme conditions, in winter and summer, with transition periods in spring and fall, or a distinct seasonality due to local factors.