Kuroshio Current
Copepods have been used as indicator-species of water masses. It has been suggested that copepods have been transported from the Kuroshio Current into southwest Taiwan through the Luzon Strait. The Kuroshio intrusion through the Luzon Strait and further into the South China Sea may explain why copepods show a very high diversity in adjacent waters of the intrusion areas. The Kuroshio Current intrusion has a major influence on "C. sinicus" and "E. concinna", which are two copepod species with higher index values for winter and originate from the East China Sea. During the southwestern monsoon, the South China Sea Surface Current moves northward during the summer toward the Kuroshio Current. As a result of this water circulation, the zooplankton communities in the boundary waters are unique and diverse.