In spring and summer of 1993 a multidisciplinary survey of the Northeast Water (NEW) Polynya, located on the continental shelf northeast of Greenland, was undertaken by R/V Polarstern. Hydrographic and remotely sensed data from this expedition are analyzed with respect to the generation and the seasonal development of the NEW. Its formation is concluded to result from the combined effect of a fast ice barrier, extending perpendicular from the coast and bridging a trough system, and a northward flowing coastal current. The fast ice barrier protects the region downstream of it from ice import while current driven ice export continues. The temporal development and spatial distribution of hydrographic parameters in the NEW is primarily controlled by its generation mechanism. Continental and sea ice melt induce vertical stability in certain parts of the polynya, giving rise to enhanced primary production there. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995