What warm current flows south along Australia's east coast?

What warm current flows south along Australia's east coast? The East Australian Current is the warm, southward-flowing current that runs along Australia's eastern shoreline.

The current forms when the South Equatorial Current crosses the Coral Sea and reaches the Australian coast. Near about 15° south latitude, part of that flow turns south, carrying warm tropical water toward New South Wales, Tasmania and the Tasman Sea. It is Australia's largest coastal ocean current.

The East Australian Current is not a single, perfectly steady stream. It commonly separates from the coast around 31°–32°S, then develops meanders and warm-core eddies. Much of the flow becomes the Tasman Front, which travels east toward New Zealand, while another branch continues southward.

A common mix-up is the Leeuwin Current, another warm Australian current that travels south along the west coast. The East Australian Current also became familiar to many people through Finding Nemo, although the film greatly exaggerates how quickly animals travel in it.