INTRODUCTION The Adriatic Sea is an interesting basin because of the different physical processes that characterize its dynamics. Early investigations of the physical processes that characterize the Adriatic Sea date back to the 19th century (Lorenz, 1863; Wolf and Luksch, 1887). Since then, several regional studies based on extensive open-sea measurements have been performed. More recently, remote sensing techniques based on satellite data have as well as analytical and numerical models have been used to interpret various aspects of the Adriatic Sea dynamics. Topography, meteorology, hydrography and hydrodynamics affect the Adriatic Sea dynamics and energetics.