Temperature and salinity vertical profiles (CTD) data in the Ría de Vigo and adjacent shelf collected in the Radiales program, 1987-2020.

The Galician rías and their adjacent continental shelf form part of the northern boundary of the Canary Current upwelling system (CanCUS), one of the world's major eastern boundary upwelling ecosystems (EBUEs). During summer, prevailing northerly winds export surface water offshore, allowing deeper, cooler, nutrient-rich water to rise, creating a fertilizing effect on coastal waters that support valuable fisheries and aquaculture economy. This data article describes a time series of hydrographic data collected on a biweekly to monthly frequency from August 1987 to September 2020 in the interior of the Ría de Vigo (one of the aforementioned Galician rías) and its adjacent shelf.

Temperature and salinity trends in the northern limit of the Canary Current Upwelling System.

Thermohaline time series are crucial for detecting and quantifying abiotic changes in the marine environment, and even more so in the present global change scenario. This is particularly relevant for the Ría the Vigo and its adjacent shelf, a highly productive ecosystem at the northern limit of the Canary Current Upwelling System (CanCUS). This study analyses a 34-year time series (1987-2020) of Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) casts, the longest series available to date in the region.