What is Humboldt Current?
[[Image:Humboldt current.jpg|thumb|300px|Humboldt Current]] The '''Humboldt Current''' is a cold, low-[[salinity]] [[ocean current]]. It flows north along the west coast of [[South America]] from the southern tip of [[Chile]] to northern [[Peru]]. Also called the '''Peru Current''', it flows in the direction of the [[equator]]. It extends 1,000 kilometers offshore. The Humboldt Current is a large marine [[ecosystem]], named after the [[Prussia]]n [[Natural science|naturalist]] [[Alexander von Humboldt]]. It is one of the major [[nutrient]] systems of the world, bringing nutrients up into the surface waters of the ocean. This supports an extraordinary abundance of marine life. [[Upwelling]] occurs off [[Peru]] year-round but off [[Chile]] only during the spring and summer. This is because the subtropical center of [[high pressure area|high pressure]] is displaced during the summer. About 18-20% of the world’s fish catch comes from the Humboldt Current. The species are mostly [[pelagic]]: [[sardines]], [[anchovy|anchovies]] and jack [[mackerel]]. This high productivity supports other important fishery resources as well as marine mammals (eared [[Pinniped|seals]] and [[cetaceans]]) and [[seabirds]]. The cold, nutrient-rich water upwelling to the surface drives the system’s extraordinary productivity. The Humboldt Current is part of a much larger system, the [[South Pacific Gyre]]. [[Category:Pacific Ocean]] [[Category:Ecosystems]] [[Category:Ocean currents]] [[Category:Bodies of water of South America]]