26 January 2024/Kiel. Large coastal upwelling systems along the eastern margins of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans are among the most productive regions of the world’s oceans. Typically, the strength and timing of upwelling in such systems are linked to the prevailing winds. Interestingly, in some tropical regions, high levels of productivity occur even when the winds are weak. An international team of researchers has now studied the upwelling system off the coast of Angola. They show that productivity in this ecosystem is controlled by the combination of coastal trapped waves and increased mixing on the shelf. The results of the study are published today in the journal Science Advances.