Upwelling

Upwelling is wind blowing along a coastline pushing surface water offshore, which pulls colder, nutrient-rich water up from depth to replace it. That nutrient injection fuels the plankton growth that anchors the entire food chain above it.

NOAA credits coastal upwelling zones (about one percent of the ocean's surface) with roughly half the world's fisheries landings. Full explanation: what is upwelling, and why does it hold fish.

Check today's coastal water on the chlorophyll map. Back to the glossary.