ON THE VARIABLE SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENT OF FISH STOCKS IN THE BERING SEA

Data from 1971 to 1993 are used to examine characteristics and variabi lity of the subsurface temperature maximum in the Aleutian Basin of th e Bering Sea. The temperature of this feature varies from similar to 3 5 degrees C to 4.6 degrees C at depths of similar to 150-400 m, and si gma-t density is usually in the range 26.6-26.9. The variability is ca used mainly by the absence or presence of inflow of warm, low-density Alaskan Stream water through Amukta Pass. Thus the environment of fish stocks is far from uniform.