By Reef Check California Director of Science Cyndi Dawson The
year 2010 came roaring in with a bang with some incredible
weather up and down the state. It was quite a thing to see the
arrival of El Niño conditions and we all saw the results over
the last few weeks of January with a barrage of storms that
lined up in the Pacific that came one after another. El Niño
conditions occur when temperatures in the equatorial Pacific
rise above average and persist at that level for 3 months or
more. You can visit NOAA’s website to get detailed information
on El Niño. El Niño events in the past have been linked to lower
ocean productivity off California because it limits the
conditions that cause upwelling. Upwelling brings nutrient rich
cooler water close to shore and is the corner stone of our
vibrant kelp forest ecosystems off California. When there are
fewer nutrients available in the water, this affects everything
from plankton right on up the food chain to whales. As divers,
we like the warm water that El Niño bri