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a depletion of the inorganic nutrients in the upper waters by enhanced primary productivity at the subsurface level (50-75 m). Ammonium concentration fluctuates irregularly around 0.4 lM with a tendency to higher concentrations during the winter months (January to March). Nitrate and nitrite concentrations during the last five years showed a regular shift from a summer low (0.10 and 0.01 µM) to relatively high early winter values (0.6 and 0.25 µM). Phosphate concentrations are generally low during summer (*0.02 µM) and high during winter (*0.10 µM). Silicate concentrations show the same trend with 1.0 µM during summer and *2.0 µM in the winter. Dissolved oxygen concentrations at the Gulf of Aqaba show a regular pattern, inversely proportional to that of temperature, with a range of 6.4 to 7.4 mgl −1 , indicating that the effects of the other ecosystem variables are masked by temperature. Waters of the Gulf of Aqaba are very well balanced in terms of respiration and photosynthesis and well ventilated due to the annual deep mixing with a saturation of 100%.

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