Example of eddies off the coast of Japan

Eddies are the circular currents that cut off from the main current, for example these eddies which pinched off the Kuroshio current of the coast of Japan. There are warm core eddies and cold core eddies. Warm core eddied transport with them more variety of animals than the cold eddies. As is clearly shown in these pictures taken by MODIS, phytoplankton bloom is associated with them and thus eddies are rich in marine life. 

I found the pictures on Wikipedia