Final answer:
The Cromwell Current is responsible for ocean upwelling, which enhances food availability for the Galapagos penguins by bringing nutrients to the ocean surface from deeper waters.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ocean currents are highly influential on the availability of food for marine organisms, including the Galapagos penguins. One significant current that impacts the food supply around the Galapagos Islands is the Cromwell Current, also known as the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent. This current is responsible for the phenomenon known as ocean upwelling, which brings nutrient-rich waters from the deep to the ocean surface, thereby promoting the growth of phytoplankton and supporting a diverse marine food web. As a result, the Cromwell Current greatly enhances the food availability for the Galapagos penguins by bringing up food from deeper in the ocean, making option (c) the correct answer.
\The correct answer is B. The availability of food for Galapagos penguins is most likely due to the Humboldt current bringing large amounts of algae from the southern ocean for the penguins to eat. The Humboldt current is a cold, nutrient-rich current that flows northward along the west coast of South America.
This current brings upwelling of deep ocean waters, which brings nutrients to the surface and supports the growth of algae, which is the primary food source for penguins in the Galapagos Islands. The presence of abundant food in the form of algae due to the Humboldt current influences the abundance and distribution of Galapagos penguins in the region.