Which ocean current carries warm tropical water southward along the Great Barrier Reef?

The East Australian Current carries warm tropical water southward along Australia’s eastern coast, including waters near the Great Barrier Reef.

It is the strongest western boundary current in the South Pacific Ocean. The current forms in the Coral Sea and flows south along the Queensland and New South Wales coasts before separating from the coast and continuing into the Tasman Sea.

Its warm water influences temperatures, nutrient movement and the distribution of marine organisms. The current is also associated with large rotating eddies that can transport water and organisms offshore.

The East Australian Current should not be confused with the Leeuwin Current, which flows south along Western Australia. Nor is it a single fixed-speed stream: its strength, position and eddies vary over time.