Scientists are at odds over new research which predicts that changes in the Gulf Stream could have a dramatic effect on world climates.

Bermuda is situated close to the Gulf Stream -- which helps keep its weather temperate especially during the winter -- and a possible slowing of the ocean currents could have repercussions here. New research predicts that Global Warming will decrease the size of the flow, leading to less warmer water moving northward and possibly plunging northern Europe into mini ice age.

The "conveyor'' of water which moves from the tropics as far north as Greenland are powered by high salt concentrations in the North Atlantic. But scientists believe melting ice in the Arctic could dilute the salt and weaken the pumps -- slowing and possibly stopping the currents.

But researchers in Bermuda and the United Kingdom say there could be differing results on the Island. Both Dr. Nick Bates, of the Bermuda Biological Station for Research, and Dr. Peter Wadhams, of Cambridge University's Scott Polar Research Institute, believe there will be some change.

Dr. Bates said research tended to suggest that as Global Warming heated America up, and Bermuda gets most of its weather from the US, it would follow that Bermuda would also see an increase in temperature. But Dr. Wadhams thinks the slowing of the ocean currents may lead to colder winters.

Dr. Bates said: "It is very hard to predict, we don't know what will happen.

I suspect once you slow down circulation in the North Atlantic the waters around Bermuda will get more salty. "The cold fronts and gales we get in winter will be pushed further north, which means winters will get slightly warmer.'' In addition the research scientist believes it could also lead to more hurricanes.

Analysis done by Potsdam University, Germany, suggests that even a minute reduction in the Gulf Stream current could lead to lower temperatures in Europe.

The end result of fresh water released from ice caps could mean that Britain and much of northern Europe spends much of the year under cold winters.

Dr. Wadhams said any differences in the flow of the Gulf Stream would have a minimal effect in Bermuda. "Bermuda is near the source, when you are near the source you shouldn't see much change at all,'' he said. "It will be all right. The temperature drop would be most noticeable in the winter rather than the summer. The summer air temperature is largely a product of solar radiation and the winter is warmed by the Gulf Stream.'' SCIENCE SCI