El Niño Brings Tropical Marine Life to California
An unusually strong El Niño, following a marine heat wave, is bringing tropical species—including sea turtles, unusual fish, rays and sharks—to California waters, drawing attention from scientists and boosting fishing. The warmer conditions and accompanying storms are also damaging beaches and threatening coastal homes, while experts warn of risks to cold-water kelp forests.
Environment · 17 sources · Oct 19, 2026Read it
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About El Niño
El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate phenomenon that emerges from variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean. Those variations have an irregular pattern but do have some appearance of cycles. The occurrence of ENSO is not easily predictable. It affects the climate of much of the tropics and subtropics, and has links (teleconnections) to higher-latitude regions of the world. The warming phase of the sea surface temperature is known as "El Niño" and the cooling phase as "La Niña". The Southern Oscillation is the accompanying atmospheric oscillation, which is coupled with the sea temperature change.
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