EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Along the west coast of the U.S., the California Current carries cold water from the polar region southward, keeping the west coast relatively cooler than the east coast.

Detailed explanation-2: -The water along the coast of California is cold for a couple of reasons. First, the California Current brings cold water from Alaska southward along the coast. And second, cold water from the deep ocean comes up to the surface through a process called upwelling.

Detailed explanation-3: -The California Current is a cold Pacific Ocean current that moves southwards along the western coast of North America. The Florida Current is a warm ocean current that flows from the Straits of Florida around the Florida Peninsula and along the southeastern coast of the United States before joining the Gulf Stream.

Detailed explanation-4: -Ocean currents These currents, along with other climatic conditions, influence water temperatures along the coast, with Northern and Central California generally having cooler water than Southern California. The Santa Barbara Channel area is a “transition zone” where these waters and associated species mix.

Detailed explanation-5: -The waters along the west coast of North America are some of the most biologically productive in the world. Cool water from high latitudes flows southward from the edge of British Columbia to Baja; this is the California Current.