The spawning area in the Atlantic Ocean (blue) is dominated by cool-temperate sardines and the spawning area in the Indian Ocean (orange) is dominated by warm-temperate sardines. Upwelling of cold waters on the southeast coast attracts cool-temperate sardines present on the south coast, which then move northward as part of the Sardine Run. When the upwelling ceases, these sardines eventually find themselves in an ecological trap of suboptimal subtropical habitat.
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