By Blog Editor on
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
The Benguela Current, classified as a large marine ecosystem, is one of the most strongly wind driven coastal upwelling systems known.
The current extends from roughly Cape Point in the south, to Angola in the north. The current is driven by south easterly winds. Inshore of the Benguela Current proper, the south easterly winds drive coastal upwelling, forming the Benguela Upwelling System. The cold and often clear, nutrient rich waters that upwell from around 200-300 m depth in turn fuel high rates of phytoplankton growth, and sustain the productive Benguela ecosystem.