El Niño is disrupting the Pacific’s marine food web from the bottom up

NASA satellite measurements show a substantial drop in chlorophyll concentrations across the Central Pacific compared to neutral conditions a year earlier, signaling declining phytoplankton as the 2026 El Niño strengthens. Scientists say weakened trade winds are suppressing the upwelling of nutrient-rich cold water that normally sustains the base of the marine food web.

Researchers warn the decline will likely worsen and ripple upward to zooplankton, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Peru has already repeatedly suspended its anchovy fishery this year to protect stocks, and starving pelicans have reportedly moved into urban ports searching for food.

NOAA gives the current El Niño a greater than 90% chance of persisting into early 2027. Scientists note oceans typically undergo a 'chlorophyll rebound' once such events subside, fueled partly by iron deposits from currents and windblown dust.

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