Cal Poly’s Center for Coastal Marine Sciences Director Ben Ruttenberg to give virtual talk on Wednesday, Oct. 7; Pier Open House set for Saturday, Oct. 10 

Contact: Ben Ruttenberg
805-756-2498, bruttenb@calpoly.edu 

The expected “super” El Niño weather season ahead could affect a variety of species that inhabit the ocean and coastal land, according to Cal Poly’s director of the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences.  

Ben Ruttenberg described this year’s anticipated El Niño as perhaps the strongest the West Coast will have experienced in many decades. In addition to the likelihood of significantly more rain, Ruttenberg explained that the effects will weaken trade winds and upwelling, bringing warmer ocean water that will raise sea levels by up to six inches to a foot. The ocean conditions will increase competition for food as nutrient sources decline, including plankton and kelp that thrive in cold, nutrient-rich upwelling areas. 

“Those nutrients fuel the entire food web,” Ruttenberg said. “Phytoplankton and zooplankton eaten by small fish will be less available, meaning less food for whales, sea lions, seals, seabirds, and the whole host of organisms that forage on them.”  

The last significant marine-impacting climate pattern, the North Pacific Ocean heatwave known as “the Blob” combined with a strong El Niño between 2014 and 2016 and had substantial impacts on a range of species. Among other effects, it contributed to the deaths of an estimated 4 million common murre seabirds in Alaska that suffered from mass starvation from ocean disruptions, and in part led to the loss of kelp forests throughout Northern California.  

Ruttenberg will be part of a speaker panel at a virtual event, open to the public, discussing El Niño implications on Oct. 7 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. (PST), hosted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.  

El Niño is caused by the weakening or reversal of east-to-west trade winds across the tropical Pacific Ocean, causing relatively warm offshore conditions in the eastern Pacific Ocean regions from South America as far north as California and the Pacific Northwest.  

However, because of coastal winds, there will likely still be some upwelling near the shore, bringing slightly cooler waters and more nutrients closer to land. As a result, key ocean prey species, like baitfish and krill, may therefore be found closer to the coast than normal. 

“If you like whale watching, there will likely be many more whales closer to shore this year,” Ruttenberg said. “It’s good for whale watching, but bad for the marine mammals because it puts them in closer proximity to activities involving people, including vessels and fishing gear.” 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom already has declared a state of emergency as the storm season develops. Based on NOAA forecasts, Ruttenberg said December, January and February are likely to see the strongest impacts from El Niño, the name coined because the climate effects tended to hit around Christmas in Latin America. But the climate-caused conditions may last well into spring. 

For safety preparedness, Ruttenberg recommends that residents clean rain gutters, ensure adequate drainage and trim overhanging branches that could damage property. 

“While the severity of the conditions can vary, extreme rain events and the potential for flooding are more likely this year,” Ruttenberg said. “And like in any emergency, it will be good to have batteries, clean drinking water, and food on hand in case there’s a massive event, and you have to leave your house, or you're stuck for a few days without power.” 

The public may also learn more about marine science and ask Cal Poly experts about El Niño at the upcoming Cal Poly Pier Open House in Avila Beach, California, on Saturday, Oct. 10, also celebrating the 25th anniversary of the university’s pier acquisition. In addition to touch tanks and displays, Cal Poly faculty and students will be on hand to answer questions about marine life studies across a range of oceanographic and ecological topics. For event details, click here.  

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