This area lies in the deepest zones of the central Adriatic, between Italy and Croatia, the main countries that exploit it. It is influenced by the Mid Gyre that determines the circulation of the waters, contributing to the well-known dense waters together with the seasons and the entering waters from the Ionian Sea. The Adriatic Sea waters are exchanged with those of the open seas of the Mediterranean only once every three or four years and the North Adriatic is the shallowest part of the entire Mediterranean Sea, with an average depth of around 50 m. It presents the w'ater body with relatively slow water exchange mechanisms, making it particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic activities.