Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Get to know the Kuroshio Current, the Gulf Stream’s Pacific counterpart! 🌀
This western boundary current transports warm water northward from the tropics to the eastern coasts of the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan.
Midway up the coast of Japan, this powerful current stretches into the open ocean, becoming the Kuroshio Extension. When warm tropical water mixes with the frigid waters of the Northeast Pacific, it cools down.
Since cold water can more readily absorb dissolved gases, it pulls carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to fuel phytoplankton. These tiny marine organisms consume even more CO2 through photosynthesis, making the Kuroshio Extension one of most powerful carbon sinks on Earth.
🗺️ by Natalie Renier/WHOI Creative
Get to know the Kuroshio Current, the Gulf Stream’s Pacific counterpart! 🌀
This western boundary current transports warm water northward from the tropics to the eastern coasts of the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan.
Midway up the coast of Japan, this powerful current stretches into the open ocean, becoming the Kuroshio Extension. When warm tropical water mixes with the frigid waters of the Northeast Pacific, it cools down.
Since cold water can more readily absorb dissolved gases, it pulls carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to fuel phytoplankton. These tiny marine organisms consume even more CO2 through photosynthesis, making the Kuroshio Extension one of most powerful carbon sinks on Earth.
🗺️ by Natalie Renier/WHOI Creative
