THE STATE OF THE CALIFORNIA CURRENT IN 1994-1995 - A PERIOD OF TRANSITION

This report is a summary and preliminary analysis of recent observatio ns of oceanographic and biological structure of the California Current region, with emphasis on atmospheric pressure and wind fields, ocean circulation pattern and hydrographic structure, and upper-ocean plankt on distributions. There was a strong transition in atmospheric circula tion and sea-surface temperature between the fall of 1994 and winter/s pring 1995. A deep low pressure replaced high pressure over the easter n North Pacific, and this resulted in frequent and intense winter stor ms, During 1994, the California Current returned to a more typical cir culation pattern, following El Nino conditions during 1992 and 1993. T he cruise mean values of chlorophyll and primary production fit into t he scatter of values observed during the prior decade, while macrozoop lankton biomass continued its trend of being low both in terms of the last decade and the 45-year record, Winter and spring of 1995 were mar ked by an unusually strong red tide event in the coastal region of sou thern California, and high chlorophyll and primary production in the C alCOFI study region.