This documentary examines the nature and impact of the Leeuwin Current, the great surge of warm water which travels down the coast of Western Australia and into the Bight each winter. It is the only current off the western edge of the continent that carries warm water to the poles.
The study of the Leeuwin by CSIRO marine scientists involves the deployment of moored instruments and drifting buoys as well as the enhancement and interpretation of satellite imagery.
There is now strong evidence linking the strength of the current to the El Nino phenomenon, the great fluctuation in atmospheric pressure which presages widespread climatic disturbances, including Australia's recurrent severe droughts.
The Leeuwin influences the migration and spawning of the Western rock lobster as well as the bluefin tuna, salmon and other important marine life.
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