Benjamin Franklin was the first scientist to study and map the Gulf Stream, measuring wind speeds and current depths, speeds, and temperatures during four crossings of the Atlantic in the late 18th century. More than 300 years later, scientists are still probing the secrets of that "river" of warm water flowing north from the West Indies, along the East Coast of North America, and east across the Atlantic to Europe.The US Minerals Management Service recently released a study of the Loop Current (LC) and Loop Current Eddies (LCEs) in the eastern gulf aimed at better forecasting the effect on hurricanes and oil and gas activity in deep waters.The LC and hurricanesPart of the Gulf ...