Seasonal and interannual variability within the Louisiana coastal current: stratification and hypoxia

Ten years of mid-summer survey cruise data mapping the west Louisiana inner shelf, supplemented by data from occasional cruises along a single transect and time series data, is used to characterize the seasonal and interannual variability of stratification in the region. Persistent strong haline stratification is modulated by the intensity and phasing of river discharge from the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River system. This stratification is only destroyed during periods of intense wind mixing. The strong relationship between stratification variability and hypoxia is demonstrated.