Važna svojstva Jadranskoga mora su: a) položaj rijeke Po koja je najveći izvor slatke vode i hranjivih tvari u Sredozemnom moru; b) zimska bura koja sudjeluje u stvaranju Sjevernojadranske guste vode i pokreće cirkulaciju u istočnom dijelu Sredozemnog mora; c) Istočnojadranska struja koja uz hrvatsku obalu donosi oligotrofnu vodu iz istočnog dijela Sredozemnog mora; d) Istarska fronta; e) uzdužni i poprečni gradijent raspodjele fizikalno-kemijskih i bioloških svojstava; f) cvjetanje fitoplanktona s pojavom makroagregata organske tvari u sjevernom Jadranu; g) mali raspon plime i oseke; h) krška hidrogeologija i postojanje visokostratificiranih estuarija uz hrvatsku obalu; i) veći udio manjih veličinskih frakcija fitoplanktona u ukupnoj primarnoj biomasi, kao i veći udio biomase bakterija u ukupnoj mikrobnoj biomasi u južnom, nego u sjevernom Jadranu; j) izolirana staništa koja su nastala potapanjem krša. Najvažnije obilježje istočnog dijela Jadrana (po čemu se razlikuje od zapadnog dijela) jest njegova oligotrofija, što je komparativna prednost koju Hrvatska treba koristiti za razvoj prikladnih privrednih aktivnosti.. Important characteristics of the Adriatic Sea are the following: a) position of the Po River which is the largest source of fresh water and nutrients in the Mediterranean; b) winter bora winds which participate in the creation of the Northern Adriatic dense water and initiate circulation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean; c) East Adriatic current which brings oligotrophic water from the Eastern Mediterranean along the Croatian coast; d) Istrian front; e) longitudinal and transverse gradient of distribution of physico-chemical and biological characteristics; f) phytoplankton bloom with appearance of matter in organic macro-aggregates in the Northern Adriatic; g) small difference between ebb and tide; h) karst hydrogeology and existence of highly stratified estuaries along the Croatian coast; i) larger share of small-size fractions of phytoplankton in the total primary biomass, and a larger share of bacterial biomass in the total microbial biomass in the Southern Adriatic than in the Northern Adriatic; j) isolated habitats originating from karst submersion. The most important characteristic of the Eastern Adriatic (which differentiates it from the Western Adriatic) is its oligotrophy, which is a comparative advantage which Croatia needs to use for development of appropriate economic activities.