Chemical Oceanography
I. Introduction

The general chemical composition of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) reflects that of the water masses bathing this region together with both point source and diffuse non-point inputs to these waters. The oceanographic setting of the MBNMS is characteristic of temperate midlatitude eastern boundary current systems (Sverdrup et al. 1942). Of global significance is the fact that the Sanctuary lies at the end of the oceanic conveyor belt (Broecker 1991) and therefore receives some of the oldest ocean waters in the world. The water upwelling off our coast last saw daylight in the North Atlantic and the Southern Ocean; as a consequence, its composition reflects over 1000 years of transit and regeneration.