During a study of circulation in the eastern Ligurian Sea, current and temperature were measured close to the sill of the Corsican Channel between Corsica and the Italian mainland in March--April 1987. Internal wave activity at the interface between the Modified Atlantic Water and the Levantine Intermediate Water was observed. The statistical description of the internal wave field shows some deviations from Garret-Munk theory. The fine structure has a remarkable influence on the vertical and horizontal scales, which have values smaller than those of theoretical prediction. The mean velocity, together with the topographic constriction, causes significant anisotropy of the internal wave field. The polarization effect is predominantly along channel, while near-bottom energy intensifications were not observed. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1990