Sharks Moving Closer to Shore, Whales Abandoning Feeding Grounds: What Is Happening to the Pacific Ocean?
The impacts of El NiƱo go far beyond the weather patterns expected across the U.S. in the coming months. The onset of this climate phase is also expected to trigger marine heat waves capable of threatening the critters that call the Pacific Ocean home. Read on for more information about this concern and what it may mean for marine life in the Pacific.
Marine Heat Wave Already Impacting Sea Life in the Pacific
Marine experts are growing increasingly concerned that the impacts of El NiƱo could impact the sea life that lives throughout the waters of the Pacific Ocean, including mammals as large as whales, birds, and more. The warming water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific define the El NiƱo climate phase. It makes sense to learn that the warmer temperatures in this part of the world's oceans naturally disrupt fragile marine ecosystems, putting marine life at risk.
Experts from the Aquarium of the Pacific and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spoke with the media earlier in the month, detailing how the warmer ocean waters and the resulting El NiƱo could deliver significant consequences for the marine life that lives off the coast of Southern California.
Climatologists have been warning for weeks that El NiƱo is developing much faster than anticipated. El NiƱo is a natural climate phase that is defined by sea-surface temperatures rising in the tropical Pacific. The phase drives the weather across the world every few years.
It is not unusual for El NiƱo to generate intense marine heat waves. The extended periods of unusually warm ocean water temperatures send marine species looking for more hospitable conditions. Thus, these marine heat waves can drastically alter how long a species may survive as well as their reproduction rates.
It is not just the temperature of the ocean water that matters. Marine experts also note that the duration of the exposure to the heat is an influential factor.
How Specific Species May Be Threatened
These marine heat waves have been shown to have devastating effects on the creatures of the sea. For example, sea lions can suffer when exposed to the harmful algal toxins brought on by the warmer waters.
Seabirds can starve when the prey that they feast on is not as widely available due to the conditions. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Alaskan seabirds have already been experiencing die-offs connected to marine heat waves and the resulting disruptions to their natural food supply.
Past El NiƱo years have also seen a decrease in plankton abundance, leading to the increased threat of hazardous algal blooms. Lastly, the risk of whale entanglements in fishing gear is also rising as the migratory animals that follow the prey species move closer to the coastline.
The latest models demonstrate that the waters off Southern California are now under a heat wave. These unseasonably warm waters are forecast to linger through August. The warmer air temperatures expected as a direct result of El NiƱo in the western U.S. will amplify the stress placed on the fragile marine ecosystems.
The warmer waters off the West Coast may also attract species that are not native to this part of the Pacific basin. For example, there could be an influx of yellowfin tuna, seahorses, and mahi mahi in search of a more hospitable environment for their needs. Beachgoers and surfers may be alarmed to learn that shark sightings may also become more frequent off the coast of Southern California as these fish migrate to the north in search of cooler waters.
Marine life experts also believe that blue whales may need to relocate due to the impacts of El NiƱo. Although this species of whale may not need to move for their own needs, the warming waters could impact krill populations, the primary food source of this type of mammal.
The rising water temperatures are also negatively impacting kelp forests. This is important as kelp serves as a critical food source and habitat for a variety of marine life. Northern California's bull kelp forests have already seen a decline of about 90%, dating back to 2014, translating into a dangerous trickle-down effect on the ecosystem.
Dr. Ariel Cohen of NOAAās National Weather Service (NWS) recently noted that it is difficult to predict how the emergence of El NiƱo will impact the current marine ecosystems. This is because the effects of the climate phase can vary widely from year to year. What is most concerning at this moment is the prediction that the building El NiƱo is shaping up to be one of the strongest on record.
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