El Niño: marine die-offs in California, emergencies in Peru
A very strong El Niño is heating the Pacific, starving seabirds off California and triggering emergencies in Peru and Bolivia, scientists and officials say.
Livefeed News DeskUpdated · 3 min read
Quick answer
A very strong El Niño is warming the Pacific and disrupting weather worldwide. Off California, ocean temperatures at depth are far above average and seabirds are starving. Peru and Bolivia have declared emergencies, and the EU climate monitor says 2026 is on track to be the second-hottest year on record.
Key facts
- Temperatures in the thermocline off Monterey Bay are 8C (14.4F) above average, according to MBARI scientist Francisco Chavez.
- A wildlife centre in San Luis Obispo County received 922 common murres between 1 September and 2 November, against a previous record of 556 in 2015.
- Peru declared a state of emergency across much of the country over El Niño-linked flooding risk.
- Copernicus says 2026 is on track to be the second-hottest year on record.
- The Philippines has set aside over $980 million for an El Niño response plan.
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide reached about 426.8 ppm in 2025, 53% above the level in 1750.
What El Niño is doing off California
Scientists say the effects of a historic El Niño have reached Monterey Bay, where sea lion carcasses and dead seabirds have been washing up. El Niño is defined by unusually warm equatorial ocean conditions and is heating and expanding parts of the Pacific.
Dr Francisco Chavez of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) said temperatures in the thermocline, the layer between the sunlit surface and the dark deep ocean, have risen to 8C (14.4F) above average. That rivals what is seen at the equator, where El Niño signals are usually strongest. Dr Henry Ruhl, who directs an ocean observing collaboration at MBARI, said it is "almost at room temperature 200ft below the surface".
Warm-water species are turning up far from home. Halfmoon fish have been seen well beyond their southern California range, Humboldt squid have appeared, and juvenile garibaldi were recorded in Monterey Bay for the first time. Dr Jono Wilson of The Nature Conservancy called it "like nothing we've ever seen".
Why seabirds are starving
When surface waters heat up, forage fish such as anchovies and sardines move into deeper, cooler water. Common murres, though strong divers, burn more calories chasing them than they can catch, and many starve.
Pacific Wildlife Care in San Luis Obispo County normally admits around 100 murres in a year without a major marine heatwave. In 2015, when El Niño coincided with the marine heatwave known as The Blob, it took in a record 556. Between 1 September and 2 November this year it received 922. During a coastal heatwave from 9 to 11 October it took in 194 animals in three days, 164 of them murres, against 11 animals in total on the same dates in 2025.
Global weather effects
The EU's Copernicus monitor said October brought record global and surface ocean temperatures. Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said an exceptionally strong El Niño is adding further heat to a climate already warmed by human activity. Experts say it could help make 2027 the hottest year on record. An AFP analysis of Copernicus data found 33 countries broke October heat records.
Peru declared a state of emergency across much of the country over the imminent danger of flooding, following a national emergency declared by Bolivia. Authorities said more than nine million people in Peru, nearly a third of the population, are at high risk of floods and landslides.
In Asia, drought linked to El Niño has raised the prospect of hydropower shortages. Sri Lanka's state electricity company withdrew a proposed price rise because heavy rain has improved reservoir levels, but severe drought is expected in the first half of 2027. The Philippines has set aside over $980 million for a response plan, after unmilled rice production fell 18% in the three months to September, a drop attributed to El Niño and the Iran war, which has raised fuel and fertiliser prices.
Scientists also reported an unprecedented early disruption of the polar vortex, likely linked to El Niño, which raises the risk of cold snaps.
The wider climate backdrop
Greenhouse gas levels reached a new record in 2025. Carbon dioxide was about 426.8 parts per million, up 53% from around 278 ppm in 1750. Methane stood at 1,948 parts per billion and nitrous oxide at 339.1 ppb.
Frequently asked questions
What is El Niño?
It is the warming phase of a natural climate cycle that temporarily raises sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific and changes weather patterns, raising the risk of drought and flooding.
How is El Niño affecting California marine life?
Warm water is pushing prey fish deeper, and common murres are starving in record numbers. Unusual southern species, including Humboldt squid, have also appeared.
Will 2026 be the hottest year on record?
The EU's Copernicus monitor says 2026 is on track to be the second-hottest year. Experts say 2027 could be the hottest.
Which countries have declared emergencies?
Peru declared a state of emergency across much of the country over flood risk, following a national emergency in Bolivia.
