How do ocean currents influence marine biodiversity?

Ocean currents play a crucial role in enhancing marine biodiversity primarily by transporting nutrients and organisms throughout the ocean. These currents facilitate the movement of essential nutrients from deeper waters to the surface, where sunlight can fuel phytoplankton growth, which forms the base of the marine food web. This nutrient transport supports a variety of marine life, promoting vibrant ecosystems.

Additionally, ocean currents can carry larvae and juvenile stages of many marine species to new habitats, contributing to population connectivity and genetic diversity. The movement of organisms due to currents allows for the repopulation of depleted areas and the colonization of new environments, further enhancing biodiversity.

In contrast, while changes in water temperature and salinity can indeed affect marine life, these factors are more direct outcomes of the physical environment rather than primary influences of ocean currents. Mixing of water layers is also influenced by currents, but in this case, the primary focus is on the transfer of nutrients and organisms, making the transportation aspect the most significant factor in the context of marine biodiversity.