In June 2014, high-resolution oceanographic data were collected in the western Mediterranean Sea by two research vessels, 11 gliders, moored instruments, drifters, and one profiling float. The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the data set which is utilised by various ongoing studies, focusing on (i) water masses and circulation, (ii) operational forecasting, (iii) data assimilation, (iv) variability of the ocean, and (v) new payloads for gliders.

The hydrography and circulation west of Sardinia, observed in June 2014 during REP14-MED by means of various measuring platforms, are presented and compared with previous knowledge. So far, the circulation of this area is not well-known and the hydrography is subject to long-term changes. The different water masses are characterized and temporal changes are emphasized. The observed eddies are specified and geostrophic transports in the upper ocean are presented.

This study shows the influence of the Western Alboran circulation on the composition of the outflow through the Strait of Gibraltar, which is mainly composed by intermediate and Deep Mediterranean Water. While the effect of the gyre in the deep water proportion was already reported, the effect on the intermediate flow has not been addressed yet. The size of the gyre was compared with the characteristic of the outflow in the strait. Results show the intermediate flow benefits from a weak gyre.

The results of this study reveal that the thermohaline properties in the study area in 2011 lie between the thermohaline characteristics of the EMT and those of the pre-EMT phase, indicating a possible slow return towards the latter. It highlights the relationship between the hydrological property distribution of the upper layer in the Levantine basin and the alternate circulation regimes in the Ionian, which modulates the salinity distribution in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.