Second batch of ENSO related observations etc from David Duffy, who is
co-ordinating a compilation of data. Please forward any observations to him.
*********ENSO 97-98: CURRENT REPORTS ON EVENTS**************
Report 2
9 September 1997
This electronic mailing is intended to provide near real-time reports
primarily on marine and terrestrial events that may be linked to the
development of the 1997 El Ni=F1o/Southern Oscillation which appears to be
unfolding as one of the most severe ENSO events in history. Emphasis is on
seabirds and changes to marine ecosystems, but we appreciate other reports
that may expand our understanding of effects. These might include rainfall,
flooding, or associated disease outbreaks. We will try to be inclusive and
let hindsight separate ENSO from other events. Reports will be issued at
the beginning and middle of each month.
Caveat:
The scientific community was not aware of the last big ENSO event in 1982
until it was well underway. This one was forecast in January 1997, so we
are watching it develop from a far earlier stage than has been previously
possible. Some of the reports may report events that will in retrospect
turn out to be coincidence, having nothing to do with ENSO at all. Others
may be previously unrecognized precursors.
The reports are often second hand or casual, edited out of other
messages. Please check with the original author before using the data.
Participation:
Please send additional reports, corrections, or comments to:
David C. Duffy
Alaska Natural Heritage Program
University of Alaska Anchorage
Tel 907-257-2784
=46ax 907-257-2789
Email
********************************************************************************
18 JULY. PERU
The Peruvian government reinstated a coastwide ban on anchovy fishing,
based on lowered harvests related to El Ni=F1o conditions. Dow Jones News.
--Jeff June <>
8 AUGUST. CHILE
Chilean officials imposed a 30-day ban, beginning August 15, on anchovy
fishing in 2 northern regions due to El Ni=F1o effects. Dow Jones News.
--Jeff June <>
EARLY AUGUST. ALASKA
AP reported that Alaska vessels began delivering albacore tuna to Kodiak
processors from a fishery about 1,200 miles south of Kodiak. The
unregulated high seas fishery was reported to have grown from about 35
vessels in 1996 to about 200 vessels in 1997. --Jeff June <>
EARLY AUGUST. CALIFORNIA
I forgot to mention that at the beginning of August, there was a sighting
of two Magnificent Frigatebirds 1/2 mile off the coast of Rio Del Mar (near
Santa Cruz) which puts them just about at the outer edge of the bay.
(additional bird records also available).-- Peggi & Ben Rodgers
<>
23 AUGUST. NE PACIFIC
AP reports The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against
eating live oysters from WA state, which could have elevated bacterial
levels due to warmer waters. About 40 cases of illness in CA and WA as
well as another 100 cases in British Columbia have been reported and
attributed to consumption of raw oysters. --Jeff June <>.
Contact Ben Gale for more info <>
3 SEPTEMBER. ALASKA
AP reports Kodiak AK fishermen fishing on tuna with the SST (Sea surface
temperature) in the Gulf of Alaska up to 64 degrees F, rather than the
usual 54 - 55 d. Also a pelagic armorhead , normally a fish species of the
"central Pacific", was caught off Kodiak. California anchovies were found
in salmon (species not given) stomachs off Yakutat, southeast Alaska with
SSTs at 63 o, rather than the normal "mid-50s".
3 SEPTEMBER. WASHINGTON STATE
Re seat-of-the-pants observations on the seabirds nesting on Tatoosh
Island, WA during the 97 season (in other words, the data have not been
properly worked up yet...), levels of attendance and productivity appear
to be at or higher than any other year in the 1990's for species we follow:
fork-tailed storm-petrels, glaucous-winged gulls, pelagic and
double-crested cormorants, and common murres. No sign of starvation,
either adults washing up, or chicks starving. Species composition of fish
fed to murre chicks did not change substantively from 1996.
Radio-telemetered murre parents foraged within range of our receivers
(about 7 -10 km) approximately 80% of the time (i.e. they aren't going very
far for food). Breeding phenology was within the range of dates of
previous years for all species.
In short, the 'obvious' signs of ENSO's effects on upper trophic
level marine species: death, decreased attendance, and reproductive
failure, were not apparent. Maybe next year. --Julia K. Parrish
<>
3 SEPTEMBER. CALIFORNIA
A Sooty Tern was reported again (last report was in early August), off of
the Silver Strand State Beach, between the cities of Imperial Beach and
Coronado. The bird was foraging on the ocean side with Elegant Terns, and
was later seen flying off to the Southwest over the ocean. --Douglas
Aguillard <>
3 SEPTEMBER. CALIFORNIA
I was out at Cordell Bank a couple of days ago, and I can't remember ever
seeing the water around here so icy blue. Looked like a real desert. Should
have seen a few thousand Cassin's Auklets, but probably didn't see 100. Low
numbers of everything else as well, except Sabine Gulls moving through.
Pretty good numbers of humpbacks and blues. Don't know how they're making a
(Burr Heneman)
3 SEPTEMBER. WASHINGTON STATE
A 125 lb striped Pacific marlin was caught by two sport albacore fishermen
fishing about 20 miles southwest of Westport, Washington. According to the
WDFW, it is the first recorded catch of a marlin on sport gear off the
Washington Coast. --Jeff June <>
3 SEPTEMBER. CHILE
Karen Gryzbowski and I are members of the team working on a project at
Algarrobo (central Chile), and were there this past May and June. We can
send you specific dates etc, if you need them, but essentially torrential
rains that persisted for approximately 6 weeks caused nearly total
abandonment of the colony at Algarrobo. Alejandro Simeone and Mariano
Bernal, who have been monitoring the island for us, stated that prior to
the storms in May, there were over 200 active nests on the island. By the
time I left June 24th, we found one bird with two chicks remaining.
("Island" also includes the rock breakwater extending from the east side of
the island). This bird had its nest in a very protected rock crevice on
the eastern aspect of the island. Many of the dirt burrows collapsed from
the rains, but the waves were so high that a majority of the south side of
the island was flooded by the ocean itself. -- Roberta Wallace
<>
4 SEPTEMBER. NEVADA
Keep an eye out for official southern Nevada rainfall records. In the last
3 days, several places around here appeared to have gotten 50 to near 100%
of their normal annual rainfalls (e.g., Pahrump, NV; 4.5 inches in a few
hours).--James L. Boone <>, URL:
http://members.aol.com/jlboone
4 SEPTEMBER.WASHINGTON STATE
This has been an unusually wet summer on the eastern slope of the
Washington Cascades. We've had "significant" (more than a trace) rain
events several times each month when our usual pattern is some rain in
June, then dry until late September or early October. These rain events
haven't been the afternoon thunderstorms that occasionally pop up over the
mountains, but seem to be associated with monsoonal flows from the south.
Sorry I don't have "hard" data, but that shouldn't be too difficult to
obtain. My field crews have been soggy all summer when usually they're
dusty.--Ann Camp < >
4 SEPTEMBER. CALIFORNIA
We're following ENSO as it develops here in San Diego. From the San Diego
view, it's been weird weather. We've had very high humidity, thunderstorms
and big floods in the deserts way west (in our desert, not AZ's), with
water closing a major freeway in the desert (I-15 near Barstow) in the past
week. There have been big thunderhead in San Diego's mountains. We're also
experiencing heat, and lots of it and the ocean off here is some 10-20 deg
warmer than normal. There are big sport fishing catches of mahi mahi and
albacore swimming close to shore! In short, we've turned into the tropics.
--Barry Costa Pierce<>,
http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/state/index.html
4 SEPTEMBER. CALIFORNIA
I am 45 miles s. of San Francisco, CA. It is reported on TV weather/news
that the waters off San Francisco are unusually warm. One report was 10
degrees F. over normal; another report said 6 degrees F over normal. It is
causing problems (potential) for the fish at the Seaquarium (presumably
Monterey Aquarium-ed.) in the area as they use sea water in the tanks; and
it's hotter than the fish are accustomed to. I
I live in Half Moon Bay; and some people are complaining about El
Ni=F1o. They say because the water here is warmer, we are not getting our fo=
g
and usual breeze (caused from the cool, ocean air rushing in to the warmer
inland air); and that it is muggy even when breezy.--C. W. Gilbert
<>
5 SEPTEMBER. OREGON
It appears as if things are beginning to take off on the Oregon coast, with
dead murres starting to wash up. I was informed today by a colleague at our
Newport (OR) marine science center that the intake water recently was
measured at 68o F, which is phenomenally warm for our coastal waters.--
Jesse Ford
5 SEPTEMBER. FLORIDA
My observations are anecdotal in the sense that I have made no attempt at
comparison to long-term data. However, here in north-central Florida we
seem to be experiencing an unusually dry summer. We have not had
significant rain in at least 2-3 weeks. Afternoon rainstorms typically are
experienced 2-3 per week (or so) but this year seem more sporadic and
infrequent.--Terry J. Doonan <>
5 SEPTEMBER. INDONESIA
You could certainly argue there is an ENSO component to the current forest
fires in Indonesia (particularly in Sumatra and Kalimantan), and that crop
yields in parts of Java may be low due to drier than normal
conditions.--Radley Horton <>
6 SEPTEMBER. CALIFORNIA
Rumor among state agencies in California is that the fall run of Chinook up
the Sacramento River started during the first week of August. Nearly 7-8
weeks earlier than average. Unfortunately, I do not have confirmation of
this as I heard about it from a staffperson at the CA Dep't of Forestry.
Perhaps you have contacts in the CA Dep't of Fish and Game that could shed
light as to the accuracy of this. Russ and Martha <>
6 SEPTEMBER. GUATEMALA
I have just come back from my honeymoon in Guatemala (a fantastic time)
and have a couple of couple of anomalies there to report. The first is the
massive decline in fishing hauls on the Pacific coast this year, a fact
which fisherman blame on the anomalously cool waters. The second is a
significantly smaller amount of rain falling in the currently building wet
season. While this was pleasurable for honeymooners, locals are concerned
for the replenishment of above and ground water supplies for the typically
grueling dry season ahead. I hasten to note that the source of this
information is local newspaper reports and essentially 'word on the street'
from locals.-- Andrew Oliphan <>, presently
at <>
8 SEPTEMBER. ALASKA
Beached emaciated Short-tailed Shearwaters and Thick-billed Murres were
found in the Point Hope region of the Chukchi Sea in late August. Reasons
for the die-off are unknown as is the magnitude of the event.
Representatives of the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife
Management conducted ground counts and collected samples. George J Divoky
<>
8 SEPTEMBER, NW USA
AP reports federal fisheries experts told the annual American Fisheries
Society meeting that "El Ni=F1o" may devastate salmon and other fish stocks
on the West Coast. Jim Martin, salmon expert with the Oregon governor's
office, said, "We should really pay attention to this one."--GrassRoots:
http://www.defenders.org/grnhome.html
8 SEPTEMBER. OREGON
The most notable personal event was yesterday. I body surfed without a
wet suit for the first time since 1983 on a local beach. We have some warm
water, and more importantly no coastal winds. It was pretty good. Jan
Hodder (Charleston OR) <>
8 SEPTEMBER, CALIFORNIA
1- A sea fish (triple tail) was caught off the L.A. coast. This is only
the 2nd one caught here on record. According to the reports, the fish is
normally found south of 20 oN.
2- A mahi mahi was caught off the San Francisco Bay area.--Steven Young
<>
8 SEPTEMBER, WASHINGTON STATE
AP reports that Vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria have become a problem in
west coast shellfish because of recent warm water conditions "associated
with the weather trend known as El Ni=F1o", leading to a voluntary ban on ra=
w
shellfish.
PLEASE CONTRIBUTE OBSERVATIONS
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