El Nio What Effects it had on marine life and Fisheries

1
El NiñoWhat Effects it had on marine life and
Fisheries

• Presentation By Brandi, Julie, and Tiffany

2
What is El Nino????

• Definition El Nino is an oscillation of the
  ocean atmosphere system in the tropical pacific
  having important consequences for weather around
  the globe.
• El Nino was originally recognized by a fisherman
  off the coast of South America.
• Among the consequences are increased rainfalls

3
Recognizing El Nino

• El Nino can be seen in sea surface temperature in
  the equatorial Pacific Ocean
• Normal conditions VS. El Nino conditions

4
Recent El Nino Occurrences

• Several recent El Nino can be seen in the Pacific
  sea temperature representations.
• Environmental Impact- Concerns over global
  warming.

5
Effects on Marine Life

• There were many effects that El Nino had on the
  marine life
• At the coast the population of anchovies,
  sardines and other fish declined
• The number of anchovies went down from 20 million
  to 2 million
• Other animals were affected by this decrease as
  well

6
Animals Affected

• Sea gulls and other birds declined right after
  the fish started relocating
• Other animals that were included because of el
  Niño were
• Sea lions
• Fur seals

7
Fur seals and sea lions
8
Food Affected in the Sea

• The main food for the fur seal is the Anchoveta
• These fish moved because of the warm water.
• Fish moved to cooler water depths

• This then lead the fur seals to shift their diets
  to other fish lower in the water.

9
South America Coast

• Fish moved or died because of the unendurable
  water from the salinity from enhanced river
  discharge.
• Because the fish moved, birds and other animals
  moved as well.
• The fish that moved, moved because the waters
  werent cool enough but when they moved down in
  the depth they died because of the coldness or
  the lack of food for themselves.

10
What is a fishery

• A place where fish are caught or reared or a
  specific target species in a specific local taken
  with specific gear.

11
El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

• Changes in sea surface temperature
• Changes in the vertical, thermal structure of the
  ocean
• Altered coastal and upwelling currents

12
Fish relocation

• Tropical, warm water species move North
  (extending their range)
• Cold water species move North or into deeper
  water (restricting their range)
• Surface-orientated, schooling fish disperse and
  move deeper water
• Fish in affected regions experience reduced
  growth, reproduction and survival.

13
Examples

• Captures near San Francisco of the equatorial
  game fish Mahi Mahi
• Swordfish, striped Marlin and blue marlin have
  been observed off California and along the
  Washington Coast.

14
Resources

• Web addresses used
• http//www.csa.com/discoveryguides/archives/elnino
  .php, info on effects of the El Nino.
•  Book
• Molles, Manuel C. Ecology Concepts
  Applications. Pages 533-539
• 4th edition
•  http/www.pmel.noaa.gov
•  e-book Oceania A Tourism Handbook
• Aspects of Tourism by Cooper, Chris Hall,
  Colin Michael