Alaska Current

It turns into the Alaska Stream west of Kodiak Island where it becomes narrows (< 60 km) and its speed increases (1 m/s).

[3] The Alaska Coastal Current is located in the inner third of the continental shelf and it is driven by along-shore winds.

It has been shown that El Niño affects the west coast through atmospheric as well as oceanic route.

In the Alaska Current system, 7– 8 months after El Niño occurred on the equator, an anomaly of subsurface temperature larger than 1.5 °C was found along the coast.

[4] Despite the dominance of downwelling-favorable winds, the water overlying the northern coast of the Gulf of Alaska has achieved high biological productivity.

The productivity in the Alaska Current System supports some of the nation's largest fisheries and large numbers of birds and mammals.

The northern Gulf of Alaska maintains an efficient ecosystem, but the distribution and abundance of living marine resources are expected to be significantly affected by changes in water temperature, changes in sea ice coverage, and ocean acidification.

[8] More precipitation and glacial melting will add more fresh water to coastal areas, which will strengthen the baroclinic structure on the continental shelf.

Schematic of the Gulf of Alaska coastal area with Alaska Current, Alaskan Stream and Alaska Coastal Currents. The Alaska Current flows northward along the west coast of North America. It turns westward at the highest point of the Gulf of Alaska.