Editing Ocean current (section)

== Economic importance ==
Knowledge of  surface ocean currents is essential in reducing costs of shipping, since traveling with them reduces fuel costs. In the wind powered [[Sailing ship|sailing-ship]] era, knowledge of wind patterns and ocean currents was even more essential. Using ocean currents to help their ships into harbor and using currents such as the gulf stream to get back home.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atlantic Ocean - Exploration, Currents, Marine Life {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Atlantic-Ocean/Study-and-exploration |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=www.britannica.com }}</ref> The lack of understanding of ocean currents during that time period is hypothesized to be one of the contributing factors to exploration failure. The Gulf Stream and the Canary current keep western European countries warmer and less variable, while at the same latitude North America's weather was colder.<ref>{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Boundary Currents - Currents: NOAA's National Ocean Service Education |url=https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/04currents3.html#:~:text=The%20Gulf%20Stream%20is%20a,current%20is%20the%20Gulf%20Stream |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=oceanservice.noaa.gov }}</ref> A good example of this is the [[Agulhas Current]] (down along eastern Africa), which long prevented sailors from reaching India.

In recent times, around-the-world sailing competitors make good use of surface currents to build and maintain speed.
Ocean currents can also be used for [[Marine current power|marine power generation]], with areas of Japan, Florida and Hawaii being considered for test projects. The utilization of currents today can still impact global trade, it can reduce the cost and emissions of shipping vessels.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chang |first1=Yu-Chia |last2=Tseng |first2=Ruo-Shan |last3=Chen |first3=Guan-Yu |last4=Chu |first4=Peter C. |last5=Shen |first5=Yung-Ting |date=November 2013 |title=Ship Routing Utilizing Strong Ocean Currents |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-navigation/article/abs/ship-routing-utilizing-strong-ocean-currents/02039ECA1A45DCDD0B7935C94F79CBB9 |journal=The Journal of Navigation |volume=66 |issue=6 |pages=825–835 |doi=10.1017/S0373463313000441 |bibcode=2013JNav...66..825C |issn=0373-4633|hdl=10945/36070 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> 
[[File:Skipjack tuna transporting at Pondokdadap Fishingport.jpg|thumb|Skipjack tuna fishery in Indonesia.]]
Ocean currents can also impact the [[fishing industry]], examples of this include the [[Tsugaru current|Tsugaru]], [[Oyashio Current|Oyashio]] and [[Kuroshio Current|Kuroshio]] currents all of which influence the western North Pacific temperature, which has been shown to be a habitat predictor for the [[Skipjack tuna]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ramesh |first1=Nandini |last2=Rising |first2=James A. |last3=Oremus |first3=Kimberly L. |date=2019-06-21 |title=The small world of global marine fisheries: The cross-boundary consequences of larval dispersal |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aav3409 |journal=Science |volume=364 |issue=6446 |pages=1192–1196 |doi=10.1126/science.aav3409 |pmid=31221860 |bibcode=2019Sci...364.1192R |issn=0036-8075}}</ref> It has also been shown that it is not just local currents that can affect a country's economy, but neighboring currents can influence the viability of local fishing industries.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Talley |first=Lynne D. |date=April 1, 1995 |title=North Pacific Intermediate Water in the Kuroshio/Oyashio Mixed Water Region |url=https://journals-ametsoc-org.ezp1.lib.umn.edu/view/journals/phoc/25/4/1520-0485_1995_025_0475_npiwit_2_0_co_2.xml |journal=American Meteorological Society |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=475–501 |doi=10.1175/1520-0485(1995)025<0475:NPIWIT>2.0.CO;2 |bibcode=1995JPO....25..475T |via=AMS Publications|doi-access=free }}</ref>