1 week ago
Super El Niño May Push Rare Marine Life North
A strong El Niño is making parts of the Pacific Ocean warmer than usual.
Warm water can encourage animals that normally live farther south to move north.
A rare yellow-bellied sea snake could possibly appear near Southern California.
Young great white sharks may also arrive earlier than they usually do.
They could follow fish that are moving north to find warmer water.
Dorado and yellowfin tuna have already been caught in unusually large numbers early in the season.
During a past El Niño, hammerhead sharks were also seen near California.
Scientists say these changes could bring unfamiliar animals closer to the coast.
The expected animal movements are possibilities, not confirmed future events.
Unusually warm Pacific waters may drive tropical and subtropical species northward along California’s coast.
Yellow-bellied sea snakes are rare in Southern California, with sightings linked to past strong El Niño conditions.
Juvenile great white sharks could reach areas such as Morro Bay and Monterey Bay earlier than usual.
Early, unusually large catches of dorado and yellowfin tuna may indicate warm-water species are already shifting north.
Marine biologists say changing prey distributions and ocean temperatures could bring more species closer to coastal communities.
- Who
- Marine biologists, including Douglas McCauley of the Benioff Ocean Initiative at the University of California, Santa Barbara, are assessing possible changes in marine life.
- What
- A powerful El Niño may push tropical and subtropical marine species northward along California’s coast and alter the timing and location of shark movements.
- Where
- California’s coast, including Southern California, Morro Bay, Monterey Bay and possibly San Francisco Bay.
- When
- The expected changes are associated with the current powerful El Niño; previous relevant sightings occurred during the 2015–16 El Niño.
- Why
- Unusually warm sea-surface temperatures may shift species’ ranges, while changes in prey distribution may draw sharks farther north.
Key facts
- Climate pattern
- A powerful event described as a “Super El Niño” is producing unusually warm Pacific waters.
- Rare species
- The yellow-bellied sea snake is normally found in tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean waters.
- Snake sightings
- A 2018 Newport Beach find was reported as the fifth documented Southern California sighting since 1972.
- Shark movement
- Juvenile great white sharks may move north earlier than usual from areas near Baja California.
- Possible locations
- Potential areas include Morro Bay, Monterey Bay and possibly San Francisco Bay.
- Warm-water catches
- Early, unusually large catches of dorado and yellowfin tuna were cited as signs of a possible northward shift.
- Previous El Niño effects
- Hammerhead sharks were spotted off California during the powerful 2015 El Niño, and two shark bites that year were attributed to hammerheads.
Sources
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