Have the Ocean currents always been a mess?

[SannaR]

I recently got the midway point of the quest Feast of Famine. When I turned in the first set of fish Wawalago was half way into singing my praises and talking about said fish when another npc comes running over to us to tell us something distressing. That thing being that no one seems to be able to get any of the regular amounts of haul from the Rhotano Sea. He suspects that the currents might to be to blame. The wording is very close to what happens in the Studium Fishing quests.

In that questline we find out that the reason the currents are a mess is due to Zodiark having been defeated and thus having an affect on them as they go about reverting to pre Zodiark conditions. Anyone who's finished Feast of Famine and the Studium quests willing to give an answer?

Fish lore is wild and probably shouldn't be ignored as much as it does

[Denishia]

It's been a few years, but if I remember correctly, Wawalago reevaluates and while the current is different that year, the fluctuation isn't out of historic precedent - in other words we're drawing on normal real-world oceanic science and fishing impact here of which El Nino is most famous - and the culprit is the Nepto Dragon, hence the task to catch it. At least for the Feast of Famine questline there's nothing out of the ordinary.

[Kranel_San]

When a fisher tell you that the ocean currents are in a mess, then it's probably just a bad yet natural event happening.
When a scientist does, especially ones who live in an island, then you know the ocean currents are indeed in a mess.

[RukoBoshi]

Maybe it's a consequence of Dalamud not being there anymore ? Even if it was an artificial moon, it may have influenced the currents in some ways.
At the very least, it seems possible that it is a consequence from the 7th Umbral Calamity.

[RyuDragnier]

Maybe it's a consequence of Dalamud not being there anymore ? Even if it was an artificial moon, it may have influenced the currents in some ways.
At the very least, it seems possible that it is a consequence from the 7th Umbral Calamity.

That would have been 5 years too late though, any changes would have already started happening before the Calamity and would have mostly resolved after it.

[Denishia]

Here's the conversation in full:

SISIPU
<sigh> And I was so looking forward to organizing a retirement roast in your honor... But anyway, I came by to update you on the situation you told me about.
We can rule out the currents as the cause. The cold current from the Bloodbrine Sea into the Indigo Deep is a tad fatter this year, but nothing out of the ordinary.

WAWALAGO
Yes, yes, the sea has its seasonal shifts. We must cast about elsewhere for the cause of the collapsing catch.

ASCELYN
Ah, ahem. I am happy to report that I have solved the mystery of the plummeting fish population. That is to say, the fishery in the Rhotano Sea is doomed thanks to the Nepto Dragon.

WAWALAGO
The absent Ascelyn arrives! Your academic acumen is always appreciated! So there be dragons in these deeps?

ASCELYN
Ahem, Master Wawalago, you did say that the Calamity displaced fauna from their natural habitats. Well, not in so many words, but I believe we understand one another.
I have verified that indeed, sightings of the Old Ones soared following the Calamity. More importantly, I have discovered that the Nepto Dragon is calamity's mistress.
That is to say, the creature always appears just after a natural disaster.
Historical records also spoke of slumping fish stock at the time of the Nepto Dragon's appearance.
So, ah, this current situation in the Rhotano Sea looks to be history repeating itself─that is to say, the fisheries here will die a painful, lingering death.
And as for what this creature is, ah, I believe I know that also─a sport born of little Thalaos! Or as we scholars like to say, a freak of nature.

[Cleretic]

Basically the answer to the thread title is 'yes, just like real ones'. It's just that real ocean currents don't have sea monsters in them. (well, not THOSE kinds of sea monsters.)

The Fisher Studium quests shows us what the ocean currents actually going haywire looks like.

[Denishia]

I liked that the SB FSH quests mentioned a red aglae bloom as a possible problem, even if it was quickly discarded.

[SannaR]

So, what I'm hearing is Yes but no.

[YianKutku]

When a fisher tell you that the ocean currents are in a mess, then it's probably just a bad yet natural event happening.
When a scientist does, especially ones who live in an island, then you know the ocean currents are indeed in a mess.

To be fair, it's a case of different objectives.

The fishers see that the ocean currents are a mess, and worry about what that means for the present and immediate future, since it directly impacts their livelihood. So it's certainly bad, but it could also be something one-off for the moment, eg El Nino as mentioned. These sorts of things happen, and in RL are indeed quite "natural".

The scientists see that the ocean currents are a mess, and worry about whether this is a trend. It would not just impact the fishers, but also their children and grandchildren. The problem could indeed just be one-off, but if compared to previous readings and measurements, it might be a sign that there will be a change to what is considered "normal" when it comes to ocean currents.

So my interpretation is in the previous FSH quests, the FSH characters noticed that the ocean currents are a mess, and are wondering if this is a problem just for the current season, or if it will also affect the next season and beyond (eg overfishing leading to extinction), and ask you to find out. In the Studium FSH quests, the Sharlayan scholar noticed that the ocean currents are a mess, and also wants to find out of this is just a one-off, or something with longstanding impact that they need to inform the rest of the world about. Same surface (pun unintended) problem, different causes and motivations for investigation.