galapagos sea lion el niño

Scientifically, the El NiÃ±o phenomenon is fascinating and still boggles oceanographers as to what causes it and how to predict it; but to the fragile Galapagos ecosystems, this occurrence is devastating. They are irresistibly cute, especially sea lion pups. The Niño 1+2 index is the three-month running mean of the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Niño 1+2 region (0–10°S, 90–80°W). It took a few years for some species to return to normal. Conserv., 137(1), 138â148. The Galapagos Sea Lion is one of the top stars of the show! Primary production from phytoplankton bringing food to the Islands grinds to a halt. Increased sea levels affect animals living in the intertidal zone. During an El Nino year, trade winds that typically blow warm water from the Ecuadorian Pacific towards the Asian Pacific die down; while this is happening, the Antarctic Humboldt Current, which jets cold water into the Galapagos Islands weakens. Each time the population crashes the "fittest" make up a greater proportion of the surviving population, effectively putting evolution into hyper drive? Nelson, K., H. Snell, and M. Wikelsi (2004), Amblyrhynchus cristatus, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Version 2014.3). The 1997–98 El Niño adversely affected wildlife in the waters surrounding the islands, as the waters were 5 °C (9 °F) warmer than normal. Illustration by Amy Caracappa-Qubeck, Â© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Annual average sea surface temperature from 1982-2014 and penguin distribution (black lines). The Galapagos sea lion, Zalophus wollebaeki (GSL), is endemic to the Galapagos Archipelago and is considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Some of the water manages to sneak around the islands, while some rises up to the surface. For example, the most recent strong events of 1982-83 and 1997-98 were followed by decimation of 77% and 65% of the penguin population, respectively. Anything that gets its food from the sea suffers extreme starvation, and when populations of certain species die out in mass numbers, it shapes the evolution of the entire species. NOAA Climate.gov map from Data Snapshots. Length: Males - 200 - 250 cm (6.6 - 8.2 feet), Females - 150 - 200 cm (4.9 - 6.6 feet) Breeding: The season varies somewhat from island to island but is generally between June and September. The GalÃ¡pagos formed on the equator some millions of years ago in the eastern Pacific. Vargas, F. H., R. C. Lacy, P. J. Johnson, A. Steinfurth, R. J. M. Crawford, P. D. Boersma, and D. W. Macdonald (2007), Modelling the effect of El NiÃ±o on the persistence of small populations: The GalÃ¡pagos Penguin as a case study, Biol. Threats: Galapagos fur seals are particularly affected by El Niño. A blog about monitoring and forecasting El NiÃ±o, La NiÃ±a, and their impacts. Galapagos wildlife has evolved over millions of years in the presence of the El Niño phenomenon, and under normal circumstances, Galapagos wildlife should be able to overcome the temporary challenges. It makes me sad. Precipitous declines in the Galapagos penguin population have followed past major El NiÃ±o events, including 1982-83 and 1997-98. The following is a more complete list of effects, compiled by the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands and University of North Carolina Wilmington: Simply put, the El NiÃ±o event happens on average every 2-7 years when temperatures in the atmosphere and ocean rise around the Equator in the eastern Pacific. There is far more than one could learn in a lifetime about geology, ecology, biology, and evolution from the GalÃ¡pagos, partly because of where they are on the planet. Scientists hope the effects of this El Niño will not be so severe. Conserv., 127(1), 107â114. One harrowing example illustrates just how powerful this phenomenon can be: The most recent strong El NiÃ±o events of 1982-83 and 1997-98 were followed by decimation of 77% and 65% of the penguin population, respectively. But in order to really understand this phenomenon, you have to first understand more about the Galapagos Islands themselves and why they are so special. Weight: Males - 200 - 400 kg (440 - 880 lbs. How strong it will become has yet to be seen, but most agree that it will reach its strength between the months of November and January before beginning to taper in the spring and early summer months of 2016. During the severe 1997-1998 El Niño event, penguin, marine iguana and sea lion populations were hard-hit, with a 45 to 90 percent mortality rate. Virtually all of the penguins and fur seals live along the western shores of Isabela and Fernandina (Boersma, 1977; Vargas et al., 2005, 2006) where the upwelling is strongest and water temperatures are measurably cooler than elsewhere in the vicinity. In 1997-1998 a strong El Niño hit marine iguana, galapagos penguin, sea lion and sea turtle populations hard. Isla Isabela quite literally forms a wall in the ocean that just happens to have the same dimensions as the Equatorial Undercurrent barreling toward it from the west. During the last El Niño, rain was not at all heavy and it typically drizzled early in the morning until about 8:30 AM. The Galapagos sea lions diet is mainly fish. Geophys. Is it possible that the population crashes caused by super El Ninos are a key contributor to the biodiversity on the Galapagos? Article writen by Brian Bayer January 2016. I came to this question when considering the genetic "quality" of the New Zealand dairy herd. We now have penguins in the tropics and such a remarkable biological system that it got Darwin thinking about life. When it rises up into the sunlight, it fuels photosynthesis and a remarkable abundance of phytoplankton, the basic food for much of the ocean ecosystem. Galapagos sea lions forage within a few kilometers of the coast, feeding during the daytime on a near-daily basis. Species like Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants forage close to their colonies and are heavily affected by the lack of food.â, The UNCW Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography. These beautiful marine mammals feed on fish and invertebrates near the shorelines. Boersma, P. D., A. Steinfurth, G. Merlen, G. JimÃ©nezâUzcÃ¡tegui, F. Vargas, and P. G. Parker (2013), GalÃ¡pagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), in Penguins Natural History and Conservation, edited by P. G. Borboroglu and P. D. Boersma, 360 pp., Univ. (See this map of October 2015, for example.) How the El NiÃ±o phenomenon affects the Galapagos Islands, http://uncw.edu/phy/documents/McLaughlin_07.pdf. Satellite images of phytoplankton around the GalÃ¡pagos during an El NiÃ±o event in March 1998 (left) and a La NiÃ±a event in July (right). The Galapagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis) is the smallest of all seals, with females weighing just around 30 kilogrammes (66 pounds) and males around 80 (176).It appears to have arrived in the archipelago relatively recently and is more similar to its mainland relative than the Galapagos sea lion. The most amazing thing to me is still the coincidence of the islands; had they formed a degree north or south of where they did, none of this would matter. Galapagos Sea Lion, a member of Galapagos Big 15:. how can we stop el nino. What happens when a tiny island rises from the seafloor and stands directly in the path of one of the grandest ocean currents in the world? Photos by Michon Scott. Aurioles, D., and F. Trillmich (2008), Arctocephalus galapagoensis, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2014.3). Nearly 70% of the GalÃ¡pagos penguins (distributions shown by black line) live around the southwestern bulge of Isla Isabela, where waters are coldest. Larger dominant bulls called beachmasters defend an area of beach along … This current is centered at a depth near 150-650 feet across most of the Pacific and rises up (upwells) toward the surface near South America. Upwelling from the Equatorial Undercurrent, for instance, is reduced during an El NiÃ±o, reducing the food supply in the near-surface waters. Now we know itâs a fundamental part of the global ocean circulation. There is another source of upwelling waters in the Galapagos: the trade winds, which normally blow from east to the west on either side of the equator. Â Â Â. Galapagos Sea lion facts - Basics. Marine iguanas (left) and fur seals (right) are just two of many unusual GalÃ¡pagos residents. Res. Vargas, H., C. Lougheed, and H. Snell (2005), Population size and trends of the GalÃ¡pagos Penguin Spheniscus mendiculus, Ibis, 147(2), 367â374. I appreciated the article on the Galapagos. Its scientific name is Zalophus californicus wollebaeki. When to see them: Galapagos sea lions stay in the Galapagos Islands all year round, rarely migrating. It can result in large numbers of them being killed, the females may not want to mate, or they will abandon their offspring. The Galapagos Islands ... the top end predators like sea-lions Species like Galapagos penguins and flightless cormorants, forage close to their colonies and are heavily affected by the lack of food. The largest marine iguanas quickly starved, while the smaller ones shrunk their bodies even further to adapt to the decreased availability of algae. Their populations can recover, but the concern is that if El Niño events happen more often, animal populations may not have enough time to recover, putting the animals in danger of extinction. Slowdowns in upwelling during past El NiÃ±o events have caused populations of iguanas, seals, penguins, and other species to crash. It would be a little like asking how we can change the rotation rate of the earth, so we can have 25-hour days instead of 24, to have more time each day. The most recent El Niño in the Galapagos was from 2009-2010 and had very little impact on the islands and wildlife. Imagine you could see miles beneath the surface of the sea, revealing highways of currents in every directionâsometimes even stacked on top of one other. Sea Kayaking in the Galapagos Islands – Paddling in Darwinâs Enchanted Isles, âLarge algal beds die, depriving marine iguanas, turtles, and many fish of their staple diet. As waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean warm, they fuel the formation of rain clouds. The amount of heat energy involved is mingboggling. We weren't aware there had just been a severe El Niño except for a sea lion skeleton and, in … Sea surface temperatures in July 2014 (an ENSO-neutral period), showing the tongue of cold water that extends across the eastern tropical Pacific when the trade winds are blowing normally. NOAA Climate.gov images, based on SeaWiFS data provided by Norm Kuring, NASA GSFC. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Numbers range between 16,000 and 18,000 individuals. Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) and fur seals (Arctocephalus galapagoensis) are endangered pinnipeds that live in a highly variable marine environment, influenced by seasonal changes in productivity and by the unpredictable occurrence of El Niño. Population dynamics of pinnipeds living in the tropical upwelling ecosystem of the Galapagos were strongly influenced by the 1982–83 Southern Oscillation-El Niño (EN) event which was the strongest recorded in this century. During an El NiÃ±o event, the GalÃ¡pagos is geographically positioned in the heart of the warming ocean waters. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. In El Niño years, the marine life on which sea lions depend can collapse, in turn affecting the survival and breeding success of the sea lions. The Galapagos Conservation Trust is the only UK charity to focus exclusively on the conservation and sustainability of … Ideas and explanationsÂ found in these posts should be attributed to the ENSO blog team, and not to NOAA (the agency) itself. Nonetheless, given that they are an endemic species in a small area, they are listed as endangered. Boersma, P. D. (1998), Population trends of the GalÃ¡pagos Penguin: Impacts of El NiÃ±o and La NiÃ±a, Condor, 100(2), 245â253. El Niño on the Galapagos • Biological effects of El Niño Blue-footed Booby. New Zealand is facing a major drought (from this year's El Nino) and farmers are reducing their stocking numbers. On the fragile Galapagos ecosystems El Niño occurrence is devastating. Boersma, P. D. (1977), An ecological and behavioral study of the GalÃ¡pagos Penguin, Living Bird, 15, 43â93. I'll let you know what they say! NOAA Climate.gov images, based on SeaWiFS data provided by Norm Kuring, NASA GSFC. In his spare time we hear he runs ultra-marathons, which is simultaneously very cool and kind of crazy. of Washington Press, Seattle, Wash. [Available at www.washington.edu/uwpress/search/books/BORPEN.html.]. Volcanic activity right on the equator created the GalÃ¡pagos Islands in the eastern Pacific. (bottom) A rare cloud-free view of the main islands on December 3, 2013, from Worldview.Â. Recent studies have suggested that human activity may also be a threat to Galapagos sea lion … These winds push water generally westward and away from the equator. Corals are stressed by the sustained higher temperatures. Since El Ninos occur in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean and affect the circulation along the entire equator, whenever there is any El Nino, it likely will have some sort of impact on the Galapagos Islands. However, multiplying by its width and height reveals that about 10 billion gallons of cold water are moving by every second! The reduction in food availabilit… Karnasuskas, K. Dispatches from Paris: GalÃ¡pagos vs. the greatest ocean current in the world. Your article really good. The GalÃ¡pagos sit right in the middle of the tongue of cold water that results from the wind-driven upwelling. Boersma, P. D. (1978), Breeding patterns of GalÃ¡pagos Penguins as an indicator of oceanographic conditions, Science, 200, 1481â1483. The Equatorial Undercurrent weakens substantially and even disappears altogether during such events (Firing et al., 1983), with dramatic consequences for the entire food web from schooling fish to penguins (Boersma, 1978 and 1998; Boersma et al., 2013, fur seals (Aurioles and Trillmich, 2008), marine iguanas (Nelson et al., 2004), and other marine predators. The Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeckii) is a particularly interesting seal species since it lives right on the equator, exposed to greater heat and potentially less food than colder-climate species.The productivity of the Galapagos, as well as the sea lion’s adaptations, allow it to thrive nonetheless. Vargas, F. H., S. Harrison, S. Rea, and D. W. Macdonald (2006), Biological effects of El NiÃ±o on the GalÃ¡pagos Penguin, Biol. However, during an El NiÃ±o year, the trade winds decrease and eventually cut off the currents almost entirely, leaving the Galapagos with the nutrient depleted waters of El NiÃ±o. They have less resources and number of eggs are reduced. Although it is a relatively cyclical occurrence, the major thing to consider is the strength of an El NiÃ±o. What happens when nature throws a wrench in this delicate balance of physics and biology? Ecosystems starve from the bottom up affecting first the top end predators like sea-lions. Cold water from the deep ocean rises up to replace it. What can you expect during your visit to the Galapagos Islands during this visit of El Niño? The GalÃ¡pagos Islands force part of the Equatorial Undercurrent toward the surface, boosting populations of phytoplankton and supporting species like penguins and fur seals not otherwise found in the tropics. It is endemic to Galapagos. Right at the vertex of three oceanic currents and formed on nutrient-rich volcanic soil and rock, these diverse ecosystems depend on various factors in order to survive, and their delicate balance is hinged on the constance of these factors. Â Â. 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