Ocean upwelling is a really interesting phenomenon. Upwelling occurs when deeper ocean water near a coastline rises up to the surface region. The deeper water essentially replaces the surface waters because the surface waters have been driven away by winds. Upwelling typically occurs along coastlines that are oriented in a North-South direction. The west coast of the United States is a good example of this. Winds from the north will blow down south along the coastline. This wind direction, in combination with the rotation of the earth, causes the ocean water to move away from the coastline. The deeper water is then drawn up from below and replaces the surface waters.
Upwelling is important for ocean life because the deeper waters are nutrient rich waters. These nutrients aid in seaweed growth as well as supporting phytoplankton blooms. Both of those things have a ripple effect on the food web because they are the base organisms of many food chains.
Upwelling isn't always a blessing for marine organisms. There are many ocean organisms that produce microscopic larvae that drift in the ocean water for months. Their natural habitat might be shallower, coastal waters. Upwelling will move those surface waters away from the coast, and those organisms will be removed from their natural habitat. This will reduce their chances for survival.
https://governmentshutdown.noaa.gov/
Upwelling refers to the process of deeper ocean water rising upward to replace surface water that has been displaced by blowing winds. Upwelling can occur in coastal areas and out in the open waters of the ocean. This water from beneath is usually colder and filled with nutrients that contribute to the flourishing of seaweed and plankton near the water’s surface. As a result, marine life of various sorts are drawn to areas of upwelling, where rich ecosystems tend to exist. The location of the thermocline, which is the transition boundary between the upper, warmer waters and the deeper, colder waters impacts the processes of upwellings, with more nutrients rising to the surface in areas of shallow thermoclines than in areas of deep thermoclines.
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/eln/upw.rxml
https://governmentshutdown.noaa.gov/
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/upwelling/
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