Upwelling

Have you ever played with a straw in your drink and noticed bubbles coming up to the surface? Upwelling is kind of like that but in the ocean! The ocean has currents that move water around just like the air has wind. When the wind blows towards the ocean, the top layer of the water gets pushed away from the shore. But, the water that was pushed away has to go somewhere, so it goes down deeper into the ocean.

Now, this deeper water is full of nutrients, which is like food for sea creatures! So, when the wind pushes the top layer away, the deeper water comes up to replace it, bringing all the yummy nutrients with it. This is called upwelling. And just like how the bubbles from the straw help mix your drink, upwelling helps mix the ocean and make sure all the sea creatures have enough to eat.