The Gulf Stream and Yucatán Current are key components of the Atlantic Ocean's circulation system. Although the Florida Current at 27°N has been continuously monitored for over 40 years, spatial variability in transport along the broader Florida Shelf remains less explored. Three decades (1993–2023) of satellite altimetry allow assessment of surface transport trends across four primary transects from the Yucatán Channel to 30°N, and along 32 supplementary sections tracking the Gulf Stream path. Bayesian regression reveals negative trends upstream, while quasi‐stable behavior downstream (off North Florida). Wavelet analysis identifies dominant seasonal to decadal variability, with the strongest coherence within the straits. Model (HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model) output confirms spatially heterogeneous trends and downstream stabilization of volume transport. These findings suggest that trends of the Gulf Stream are spatially non‐uniform, involving apparent transport reductions balanced by downstream compensation. Thus, it is necessary to resolve along‐stream variability when assessing long‐term changes in western boundary current systems.
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Torres-Córdoba et al. (2025) studied this question.
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