Synonyms
Global scale currents
Definition
Ocean circulation denotes ocean-scale current systems that change seasonally but persist from one year to the next.
Introduction
Reefs develop in most parts of the world where reef-building (zooxanthellate) corals grow and where the ocean is warm. This geographic template is created by the world’s great ocean currents (Figure 1). Currents therefore play a key role in the geographic extent of reef formation as well as in the dispersal of reef biota. They are also critical determinants of the pathways of species evolution.
The global pattern of ocean circulation (after Veron, 2000).
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Veron, J.E.N. (2011). Global Ocean Circulation and Coral Reefs. In: Hopley, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2639-2_87
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