Cruise Report, RV ATAIR, Cruise 067I033-1, Bremerhaven – Thybor?n – Aberdeen, 23 Jul – 15 Aug 2024 33 south of Norway and fresh salinities < 32 close to the Norwegian coast until 58°N. Data from the trench region further north does not exist for this cruise. The deviation from the long-term mean (Figure 6.5, right) points to the North Sea being fresher than average near the surface throughout major parts of the region of interest. The freshest signals appear along the German and Danish coasts up to southern Norway and in the south- ern North Sea south of Dogger Bank. The obivious maximum of the salinity deviation off west- ern Norway near 59°N is not supported by observations. Figure 6.6. CTD-derived spatial distribution for the salinity near the sea bottom in summer 2024 (left) and respective salinity deviations (right) from a long-term summer mean, 20 years, comprising NSSS cruises of the years 2000-2020 (except 2019). In summer 2024, the salinity distribution near the bottom compared quite well with that of 2022. Salinity > 35 filled most bottom regions of the North Sea from south of the Shetlands towards the southeast at about 58°N. Data from 60°N and the eastern part of the 59°N section is not available. Salinity as high as 34.5 spreading from the north was observed until 54°N south of the Dogger Bank. A local maximum with S = 34.63 at about 52°N/3°E may be indicative of more saline water entering the North Sea from the south via the English Channel. A similar pattern was noted in 2022 at 52°N/2°E, but was absent in 2023. Due to missing data in the English Channel south of 52°N in all three years, this signal cannot be further explored. Fresh salinities with values well below S = 32 stretched along the western German and Danish coasts clearly pointing to the impact of runoff coming from the continental rivers like Elbe and Weser. Also, the salinity deviation from the long-term mean revealed a freshening in the Ger- man Bight off the East Frisian islands and in a pattern stretching along 53°N towards the UK. Salinity conditions in remaining parts of the North Sea were, however, rather normal. Figures 6.7 and 6.8 present temperature and salinity along coast-to-coast sections following the latitudes 59°N, 58°N, 57°N, 56°N, 55°N and 54°N. Due to the varying water depths from