On the Physical Oceanography of the Southern European Seas: A Perspective Inspired by Prof. Emin Özsoy

The Southern European Seas -encompassing the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea of Marmara, and the Black Sea- constitute a dynamically coupled system in which basin-scale circulation, strait exchange, stratification, and atmospheric forcing interact across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. My talk revisits the physical oceanography of “Seas of the Old World” through the scientific contributions of Prof. Emin Özsoy. His work has been central to framing these marginal seas as an integrated dynamical continuum rather than isolated basins beginning with his seminal contributions to POEM early in his career.

This talk focuses on the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea with emphasis on the interbasin exchange processes, particularly within the Turkish Straits System, where two-layer flows regulate mass, salt, and heat budgets. The talk synthesizes observational and modeling studies that elucidate the role of density-driven circulation, pycnocline dynamics, and topographic constraints in shaping water mass transformation, ventilation pathways, and basin-wide circulation. Seasonal to interannual variability associated with atmospheric forcing, buoyancy fluxes, and mesoscale activity is discussed in the context of coupled strait-basin dynamics. By interpreting observations and high-resolution numerical models together, Özsoy’s framework provides a basis for understanding multi-scale dynamics in our regional seas.

This talk argues that the Southern European Seas represent a natural laboratory for studying strait hydraulics, thermohaline circulation, and boundary-dominated ocean dynamics, and calls for sustained, cross-basin observing and modeling strategies to advance predictive capability in complex regional systems.