El Niño and climate change drive record ocean temperatures and marine life disruption

Global ocean temperatures have reached their highest average ever recorded, according to data from the Copernicus climate change service. The average sea surface temperature, excluding polar regions, reached 21.1°C, surpassing previous records. Scientists indicate this warming is driven by a combination of human-induced climate change and the El Niño phenomenon.

NASA satellite imagery reveals that El Niño is significantly impacting marine life in the Equatorial Pacific. There has been a notable reduction in chlorophyll concentrations, signaling a decrease in phytoplankton availability. This occurs because weakening trade winds prevent the upwelling of nutrient-rich cold waters, which is essential for phytoplankton growth.

This disruption in the marine food web could have cascading effects, reducing food availability for zooplankton, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Such changes pose significant risks to economic activities, such as the anchovy fishery in Peru.