Extant theories and numerical simulations for Langmuir circulations [Leibovich, Ann. Rev. Fluid Dyn. (1983); Leibovichet al., J. Fluid Mech. (1989)] all show predicted circulation patterns characterized by asinglehorizontal, cross‐wind scale. Recent research [Smithet al., J. Phys. Oceano. (1987); Weller and Price (1988); Pinkel and Smith (1989), unpublished acoustic data] showmultiscalecirculation patterns, including the organization of bubbles and phytoplankton, in the oceanic surface layer. An analytic theory for the evolution of two‐dimensional disturbances in neutrally stratified, super‐critical shear flows will be presented, done in collaboration with Chris Bretherton, UW‐Applied Mathematics. This theory shows that initially favored, quickly growing disturbances evolve into catalysts for the transfer of mean flow energy into other scales of motion, producing multiscale circulation fields. This general result directly predicts the production of multiscale Langmuir circulations, which is supported here with theoretical calculations specialized to the oceanic surface layer.