Lyla Lindsey
The East Australian Current (EAC) is a powerful ocean current that flows southward along the east coast of Australia, from the Great Barrier Reef to Tasmania. It is famously depicted in the animated film Finding Nemo as a fast-flowing tube ridden by sea turtles and other marine creatures. In reality, the EAC is much larger and wilder, transporting an immense volume of water and playing a crucial role in the region's climate and ecosystems. The EAC also serves as a highway for marine species, including turtles, tropical fish, sharks, corals, and even humpback whales, aiding in their migration and transportation between habitats. Its impact extends beyond the ocean, shaping weather patterns and influencing the economies of Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Direction | North to South |
| Width | 100 kilometres |
| Depth | 500 metres to 1.5 kilometres |
| Length | 4,000 kilometres |
| Origin | South Equatorial Current |
| Temperature | N/A |
| Speed | 90 cm/s, 7 km/h |
| Animal Species | Turtles, tropical fish, sharks, corals, larvae, marine algae, humpback whales, sea snakes |
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What You'll Learn
The EAC is a superhighway for turtles
The East Australian Current (EAC) is a warm southward western boundary current that runs from the top of the Great Barrier Reef in the north to the southern reaches of Tasmania. It is the largest ocean current close to the shores of Australia, spanning the length of the country's east coast, approximately 4,000 kilometres. The EAC is driven by winds over the South Pacific and collects warm, nutrient-poor water from the west edge of the South Pacific Gyre.
The EAC is an important part of what allows the Great Barrier Reef to thrive, as it distributes nutrients and smaller organisms throughout the reef and surrounding areas. It is also responsible for keeping the east coast of Australia around 18 °C year-round. The EAC influences productivity, biodiversity, and what grows where and when. It transfers heat from the tropics to the mid-latitude water and atmosphere, impacting weather patterns above water by warming the air and adding moisture.
The EAC is featured in the 2003 animated film Finding Nemo, in which Marlin and Dory encounter a sea turtle named Crush who surfs the EAC with other turtles.
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EAC's impact on the climate and biodiversity
The East Australian Current (EAC) is a boundary current from the South Equatorial Current that crosses the Coral Sea and reaches the eastern coast of Australia. It runs north to south from the Great Barrier Reef to Tasmania, spanning the length of Australia's east coast (approximately 4,000 kilometres). The EAC is known for its diverse marine life, attracting a wide range of species, including turtles, tropical fish, sharks, corals, larvae, and marine algae.
The EAC has a significant impact on the climate of the region. It shapes weather patterns by warming the air and adding moisture, influencing the climate and ecosystems of Australia. Over the last 40 years, the EAC has strengthened, contributing to a temperature rise of more than 2°C in the Tasman Sea. This increase in temperature is a concern for the region's socio-economic development, as it leads to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, including droughts, floods, and storms. These weather phenomena have negative consequences for agriculture, food security, energy production, and tourism, ultimately affecting livelihoods and economies.
The EAC Partner States are Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and are committed to addressing the adverse impacts of climate change. The EAC Climate Change Policy aims to guide partner states and stakeholders in implementing collective measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change, ensuring sustainable social and economic development. The policy focuses on climate change adaptation, mitigation, science, and finance, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations and ecosystems.
The EAC also plays a crucial role in biodiversity. It serves as a highway for sea turtles, aiding their transportation between habitats across the southern Pacific Ocean. The current helps tiny loggerhead turtle hatchlings travel from nesting beaches in Australia and New Caledonia to the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean, where larger juveniles are often found. Additionally, humpback whales use the EAC to migrate from breeding grounds on the Great Barrier Reef to feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean.
The EAC's impact on biodiversity extends beyond just turtles and whales. It influences the distribution and survival of various marine species, including tropical fish, sea snakes, and larvae, which can be carried further south than intended, sometimes leading to their stranding and death in colder Southern Ocean waters.
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EAC's role in transporting tropical marine fauna
The East Australian Current (EAC) is a powerful ocean current that flows from the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef southwards to the southern reaches of Tasmania. It spans the entire east coast of Australia, measuring approximately 4,000 kilometres in length, 100 kilometres in width, and extending over 500 metres deep into the ocean.
The EAC is an important transport mechanism for a diverse range of marine species, including sea turtles, tropical fish, sharks, corals, larvae, and even marine algae. It serves as a migration route for humpback whales, aiding them in travelling from their breeding grounds on the Great Barrier Reef to their feeding grounds in the cooler waters of the Southern Ocean.
The EAC plays a critical role in the life cycle of loggerhead turtles in the southern Pacific Ocean. Post-hatchling turtles, measuring just 4 centimetres in length, swim offshore from their nesting beaches in Australia and New Caledonia. They encounter the southward flow of the EAC, which then propels them eastward towards Peru and Chile, where larger juveniles are often found.
The EAC is not limited to turtles, however. It also transports larger fish, sea snakes, and even whale sharks. The current's strength and depth can be challenging for some creatures, requiring them to prepare for the powerful currents to avoid being flung out of the EAC's path.
The EAC is more than just a transport mechanism for marine life; it also influences weather patterns and shapes the climate. By carrying warm water and adding moisture to the air, the EAC impacts the climate and economies of Australia. Furthermore, the EAC's role in transporting species and facilitating their migration ensures genetic diversity and contributes to the spread of nutrients, shaping the marine ecosystems and biodiversity along Australia's east coast.
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EAC's influence on the Great Barrier Reef
The East Australian Current (EAC) is a boundary current that originates from the South Equatorial Current, crossing the Coral Sea and flowing along the eastern coast of Australia. The EAC is known to play a significant role in the transportation of sea turtles, as famously depicted in the animated film "Finding Nemo." The current spans approximately 4,000 kilometres, with a width of around 100 kilometres, and reaches depths of over 500 metres.
However, the EAC's influence on the Great Barrier Reef also has certain drawbacks. While the EAC provides transportation for sea turtles, it can also inadvertently carry larger fishes, sea snakes, and tropical larvae further south than intended, leading them to become stranded in the colder Southern Ocean waters, often resulting in their demise.
Furthermore, the EAC's role in warming the waters can have detrimental effects on the reef. Climate change, including rising water temperatures, poses the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef. The EAC's contribution to warming waters can exacerbate the stress on corals, making them more susceptible to coral bleaching events caused by heat stress. The combination of rising temperatures, poor water quality from sediment runoff and pollution, severe cyclones, and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks creates a perfect storm of threats to the reef and its dependent species.
The vulnerability of the Great Barrier Reef to these various threats underscores the importance of understanding the EAC's influence. The reef's vast biodiversity and the socioeconomic services it provides, valued at AU$56 billion, are at risk due to these environmental challenges. Efforts to address degradation and protect the Great Barrier Reef are essential to mitigate the potential losses and maintain the reef's ecological and economic significance.
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EAC's depiction in the movie *Finding Nemo*
The East Australian Current (EAC) is a boundary current from the South Equatorial Current that crosses the Coral Sea and reaches the eastern coast of Australia. The EAC is depicted in the 2003 Disney-Pixar animated film *Finding Nemo* and its sequel, *Finding Dory*.
In the movie, the EAC is an ocean current that Marlin and Dory enter in their search for Nemo. The current contains several sea turtles, including Crush and Squirt, who are travelling together. The EAC is shown as a fast-moving highway for aquatic life, with strong currents that fish must be ready for to avoid getting flung out. The EAC helps Marlin and Dory reach Sydney faster, and it is one of the areas they must pass through to arrive at Sydney Harbour and reunite Nemo with his father.
The depiction of the EAC in *Finding Nemo* is somewhat accurate. The EAC is a very real current on the east side of the Australian coast that flows southward from the Great Barrier Reef, transporting more than 40 million cubic meters of water each second. While fish "riding" the EAC may not be as fast as depicted in the movie, scientists have observed tropical fish "hitching a ride" on the current.
The EAC plays a critical role in transporting turtles between habitats across the southern Pacific Ocean. The current slingshots tiny loggerhead turtle hatchlings eastward across the Pacific towards Peru and Chile, highlighting the importance of international collaboration to study and protect these animals.
The inclusion of the EAC in *Finding Nemo* helped to create a diverse underwater environment and contributed to the film's heartwarming story and somewhat accurate depiction of the underwater kingdom. The film received widespread acclaim for its visual elements, screenplay, animation, and characters, becoming the highest-grossing animated film at the time of its release.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, sea turtles do ride the East Australian Current. In fact, the EAC is often referred to as a "sea turtle highway".
No, the EAC attracts a wide range of marine species, including tropical fish, sharks, corals, larvae, and even marine algae.
Yes, the EAC is featured in the movie "Finding Nemo". In the movie, Marlin and Dory hitch a ride on the back of a sea turtle named Crush to get to Sydney Harbour and find Nemo.
Yes, the EAC plays a crucial role in the climate and ecosystems of Australia's east coast. It helps to transport marine species to subtropical regions, and it also warms up the eastern coastline of the country.
