What Is the Florida Current, and Why Are Scientists Investigating It?
By Huella Zero
Scientists at the University of Miami are studying the Florida Current, one of the fastest ocean currents in the world. Its behavior is critical, as a potential slowdown could signal a weakening in the general circulation system of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Florida Current is a significant ocean current characterized by being warm, narrow, and flowing northward along the state’s East Coast. This flow is the primary source of the Gulf Stream and an essential component of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
It transports a considerable volume of water—approximately between 25 and 30 Sverdrups (Sv), equivalent to 25 to 30 million cubic meters of water per second—and plays a fundamental role in climate regulation by moving tropical waters toward the North Atlantic.
This current originates in the Gulf of Mexico, traverses the Florida Straits—between the Florida Keys and the Bahamas—flows northward hugging the coast, and finally merges with the Gulf Stream.
Scientists Study the Florida Current
In September 2025, a team from the University of Miami and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducted a research expedition between Miami and the Bahamas, focusing on this specific current.
During a 36-hour expedition, scientists and crew members collected data through dives and comprehensive measurements that will serve as a foundation for future studies regarding the state of the oceans.
The team aims to quantify the water flow using underwater instruments, onboard equipment, and satellite technology. Additionally, they are collecting data on water temperature, salinity, density, and velocity—variables that, when integrated, allow for an estimation of the amount of heat transported through a specific region. Oceanographer Denis Volkov, a participant in the project, told *The Washington Post* that the undersea cable which had provided data on this current for the past 40 years deteriorated in 2023.
Consequently, researchers now retrieve data from acoustic barometers located on the ocean floor through diving operations. To accomplish this, the team conducts overnight voyages—at least six times a year—from Miami to the Little Bahama Bank, gathering information at nine strategic locations.
Is the Florida Current Weakening?
A study published in September 2024 determined that the intensity of the Florida Current has remained stable over the past four decades.
The AMOC plays a crucial role in the global system, transporting water throughout the Atlantic Ocean in both northerly and southerly directions, and linking surface and deep-water currents on a global scale.
The most advanced climate models regarding the Florida Current—including NOAA’s—project a potential reduction of up to 45% in the AMOC’s intensity by the end of the century.
These projections form the basis of the most recent IPCC report. However, to date, there is no conclusive observational evidence confirming a significant slowdown of the AMOC in recent decades.
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