中文摘要：

文章对近期有关琉球海流的研究进行了综述。指出琉球海流是北太平洋一支重要的西边界流，具有如下特征：琉球海流的表层部分受中尺度涡影响强烈，其流速和流量存在有较稳定的次表层极大值，琉球海流在冲绳岛和奄美大岛间得到了显著增强，是一支可和黑潮相匹敌的海流。有关琉球海流的以下几方面内容有待今后更深入研究：（1）琉球海流的起源，其形成的动力学机制及琉球海流在冲绳岛以南的时空变化；（2）琉球海流次表层极大值形成、维持及在冲绳岛以北得到显著增强的动力学机制；（3）琉球海流对东海的影响及其水和热流量在黑潮中所起的作用。

英文摘要：

The recent study achievement about the Ryukyu Current （RC） is reviewed. It is pointed out that the RC is an important western boundary current in the North Pacific. The RC is strongly influenced by the mesoscale eddy and its velocity and volume transport exhibits subsurface maximum structure. The RC remarkably develops between the Okinawa and Amami--Ohshima Islands. The following three points need to better address： （1） the origin of the RC, the formation mechanism and its temporal and spatial variations; （2） dynamic processes of formation and maintaining of the subsurface maximum structure, the development of RC from the northern of the Okinawa Island, and （3） the contributions of volume and heat transport to the Kuroshio.