20. May 2025/Kiel/Mindelo. Why is the ocean around the Cape Verde Islands teeming with life despite lying in one of the most nutrient-poor regions of the Atlantic? A new study led by the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel provides answers. By analysing two decades of interdisciplinary observational data, the research team identified three key small-scale physical processes — eddies, internal waves and wind-driven island wakes — that drive the upward transport of nutrients from the deep ocean to the surface. These local dynamics boost biological productivity and shape the distribution of marine species in the region. The study demonstrates how seemingly chaotic ocean patterns can reveal underlying ecological structure and paves the way for the further development of a Digital Twin of the Ocean.