Story | 18 June 2026
A ‘super’ El Niño has the power to devastate fishing – and leave seals and sea lions starving
PML’s Dr Samantha Garrard has written for The Conversation UK about the growing likelihood of a “super” El Niño event developing in the Pacific Ocean – and how this extreme climate phenomenon could have devastating impacts.
Photo by Craig Marolf on Unsplash
“There is a more than 60% chance that a “super” El Niño will develop by the end of this year.
This is defined as the strongest El Niño event you can get, and happens when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean rise by more than 2°C. During a super El Niño, the ocean gives off extra heat into the air, which helps raise global temperatures. Because climate change is already warming the planet, a super El Niño could push global temperatures to the highest levels ever recorded.
El Niño conditions have already begun this year, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While El Niño is a natural phenomenom, climate change means that El Niños are becoming stronger and more frequent.”
[Extract from The Conversation UK]
