Oyashio Current
Also called: Kurile Current · Topic: Movements of Ocean Water: Waves, Tides and Currents · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 13 "Movements of Ocean Water"
Meaning
The Oyashio Current, also called the Kurile Current, is a cold ocean current that flows south from the Bering Sea, past the Kuril Islands, to north-east Japan. It carries cold water that is rich in nutrients, the food that plankton (tiny drifting plants and animals) need. Where it meets the warm Kuroshio, the two waters mix. This brings fog and helps plankton grow, and plankton is the main food of fish.
Example
The Oyashio meets the warm Kuroshio Current near Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. This meeting zone is one of the world's richest fishing grounds.
Don't confuse with
- Kuroshio Current: it is warm and flows north-east past Taiwan and Japan. The Oyashio is cold and flows south.
- Labrador Current: it plays a similar role in the Atlantic, where it meets the Gulf Stream off Newfoundland.