September, 1997 Meeting Summary

ACS/LA GENERAL MEETING Notes
"El NiŅo: What is in Store for California Marine Life?" Panel
September 30,1997
by Katy Penland, ACS/LA Programs Chair

The topic was El NiŅo, and the turnout was great. Over 150, many of whom were first-time ACS meeting attendees, came to hear a panel of experts discuss the historical effects the phenomenon known as El NiŅo has had on cetaceans, birds and pinnipeds. The panel consisted of Dr. Charles Woodhouse, Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum; Joe Cordaro, wildlife biologist for the Protected Resources Management Division of the National Marine Fisheries Service; and Dr. Patricia Baird, professor of biological sciences at Cal State-Long Beach.

Dr. Woodhouse opened the evening's panel with an overview of what an El NiŅo event is: a "piling up" of warm water off the west coast of South America, water that is usually pushed westward toward Indonesia and Australia (the western Pacific) by the trade winds. When the trades weaken, this warm equatorial water accumulates and literally "piles up" in the eastern Pacific. The sea level ran be inches to several feet higher at mean tide, thus causing extensive flooding at high tide. This super warm water pushes north and south along the coast of the Americas, causing extreme changes in weather patterns and animal behaviors. Except for seeing species outside their normal range, cetaceans are probably the least of the animal kingdom affected by El NiŅo (as far as we now know) because they can forage further afield for food.

Birds, as Dr. Patricia Baird pointed out, are much more vulnerable. In El NiŅo "years" (which are actually 12-1 8 months in duration), their food sources are drastically displaced. All the warm water rises to the surface of the ocean, pushing cold- and temperate-water fish further below, thus out of reach of surface feeders and most diving species. Those species, such as penguins and cormorants, who can dive deeper have to expend much more energy doing so and are still in danger of starvation. Most dramatically affected are nesting and breeding areas that can be destroyed by flooding and erosion from continual storms. Birds who lay multiple eggs may have a chick or two survive, but those species which lay only one egg per clutch are more seriously impacted. All species are affected by the lack of food to feed their young.

This lack of available food is the primary cause for pinniped strandings and deaths, according to Joe Cordaro. During and after an El NiŅo event, the strandings of pinnipeds more than double. The animals, especially "cute young pups," come ashore looking for food and instantly trigger human sympathy: Rehab centers get inundated with calls; the NMFS gets yelled at for not rescuing every single animal; and some people, thinking they're helping, even take pups home and put them in bathtubs! Cordaro pleaded with the audience to leave all beached animals strictly alone. If an animal is sighted, watch it for 24 hours, and then call NMFS. Many times, animals haul out on a beach to rest and return to the sea a few hours later. In the case of harbor seals, mothers who pup on beaches will leave their young for hours at a time and come back to nurse. If for some reason a pup is abandoned, and NMFS or rehab facilities simply cannot handle any more critters, signs are posted and nature is allowed to take its course. NMFS and animal control agencies must give priority to rescuing mammals with human-caused injuries (gunshot wounds, netting, fish hooks, etc.).
Cordaro warned that this yearķs El NiŅo event could bring record numbers of animals ashore, and the public's cooperation will be needed more than ever.

Check out these websites for more info on El NiŅo:

NOAA sites:
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/el-nino-story.html
http://www.cdc/noaa.gov/ENSO
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University of Washington site:
http://earth.agu.org/revgeothys/ba...4.html