Animals facing greatest risk of death from El Niño marine heat waves

Marine animals from seabirds to whales face elevated risks of starvation, disease and death as El Niño-driven marine heatwaves intensify, according to experts cited in the report. The article explains that El Niño represents the warm phase of the ENSO cycle in the tropical Pacific, which shifts every two to seven years and alters ocean temperatures, wind and rainfall patterns. NOAA says El Niño weakens or stops upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich deep water, reducing phytoplankton and disrupting food webs, while warmer waters can draw tropical fish such as yellowtail and albacore tuna into typically colder areas. The Climate Prediction Center said earlier this month that El Niño conditions are present and are expected to strengthen into the Northern Hemisphere’s winter. On June 11, NOAA and Aquarium of the Pacific experts warned impacts may be significant off Southern California as sustained heat changes distribution and reproduction. Risks include harmful algal blooms and domoic acid poisoning, which can move through the food web to top predators.