water temperature ranged from 13.3°C (A900, 200 m) to 20.9°C (A200, surface), with thermal stratification in the first 40 m. Salinity varied between 33.8 (A50, surfaee) and 38.8 (A300, 280 m). Average surface layer salinity gradually decreased from station A900 to the coast, indicating the plume from the Albanian rivers. The 0-150 m layer of stations A50 to A150, as well as the 0-100 m layer of the stafions A200 to A1000 was covered by the Ionian surface water, while the core of the Levantine Intermediate Water (Eastern Adriatic Current) ingression was indieated in the layer below 100 m, westward of the A200 station.