Coastal “El Niño” and its impacts on the Peruvian marine ecosystem

Oct 29, 2026

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Report from the 11th Meeting of the Scientific Committee (11–16 September 2023, Panama City) presenting Peru’s voluntary information to support scientific research within the SPRFMO Scientific Committee. It explains the Pacific off Peru as a highly variable, productive system driven by coastal upwelling and ocean dynamics, and describes how El Niño alters plankton productivity, modifies fish distribution and physiology, and affects fisheries and socioeconomic conditions. Focus includes evolution of El Niño and perspectives toward austral summer 2024.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

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Introduction

1. Evolution of El Niño in the South Eastern Tropical Pacific and perspectives until the austral summer 2024

1.1 Evolution of the sea surface temperature anomalies

11th MEETING OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE 11 to 16 September 2023, Panama City, Panama SC11 – WP06 Coastal “El Niño” and its impacts on the Peruvian marine ecosystem Peru 11th MEETING OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Panamá, 11-16 September 2023 COASTAL “EL NIÑO” AND ITS IMPACTS ON THE PERUVIAN MARINE ECOSYSTEM by Gutiérrez, Dimitri; Cahuín, Sandra; Román Gersson; Bouchon, Marilú Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE) This report contains information on the fishery in Peruvian jurisdictional waters that, we reiterate, the delegation of Peru, in use of its discretionary powers, voluntarily provides for the purpose of information and support to the scientific research work within the Scientific Committee of the SPRFMO. In doing so, while referring to Article 5 of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean and reiterating that Peru has not given the express consent contemplated in Article 20 (4) (a) (iii) of the Convention, Peru reaffirms that the decisions and conservation and management measures adopted by the SPRFMO Commission are not applicable within Peruvian jurisdictional waters. Coastal “El Niño” and its impacts on the Peruvian marine ecosystem Gutiérrez, Dimitri; Cahuín, Sandra; Román Gersson; Bouchon, Marilú Instituto del Mar del Perú Introduction The Pacific Ocean off Peru is characterized by its high biological variability and productivity which affects all trophic levels of the marine ecosystem (Espino and Yamashiro, 2012; Espino, 2014) . This high biological productivity is mainly due to the specific physical and chemical conditions of this area, in particular for the presence of coastal upwelling, oceanic dynamics (Zuta and Guillén 1970; Chávez, 1989; Graco et al., 2007; Bakun and Weeks 2008) . El Niño event is an element that generates strong changes in the oceanographic and climate conditions on Peruvian waters. The planktonic productivity is altered, causing antagonistic reactions in fishery species, due to the modification of their distribution patterns, alteration of some physiological processes, such as growth and reproduction, which have repercussions on the development of fisheries and other socioeconomic aspects of Peru (Rojas de Mendiola et al., 1985) . In this sense, this document describes the oceanographic conditions, focusing mainly on the El Niño event, and its effects on commercially important fishery resources in Peru. 1. Evolution of El Niño in the South Eastern Tropical Pacific and perspectives until the austral summer 2024 Current conditions in the Tropical Pacific exhibit the development of El Niño. By the first week of September 2023, sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) in the far South Eastern Tropical Pacific (SETP) range from +1 °C to +4 °C on average, with the peak values off Northern Peru and Ecuador (Niño 1+2 region), and the lower ones off Southern Peru and Northern Chile. A ‘warm tongue’ of anomalies extends westwards in the Equatorial band, reaching average values between +1 and +2 °C in the Central Equatorial Pacific (Niño 3.4 region) (Figure 1) . Figure 1. Sea Surface temperature anomaly for the week from September 03 to September 09, 2023. Data source: OSTIAUKMO-L4-GLOB-v2 .0 (UK Met Office, 2012; Donlon et al, 2012); [https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/OSTIA-UKMO-L4-](https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/OSTIA-UKMO-L4-)[GLOB-v2.0](GLOB-v2.0. Reference period: 1991)[. Reference period: 1991](GLOB-v2.0. Reference period: 1991) – 2020. 1.1 Evolution of the sea surface temperature anomalies The development of anomalous warm conditions was rapid in the Niño 1+2 region and along the Northern Peruvian coastal band. Previously, according to the Oceanic Niño Index (Bamston et al., 1997; L’Hereux, 2014), since late 2020 until January 2023, La Niña conditions prevailed in the central Equatorial Pacific. In the South Eastern Equatorial Pacific (or Niño 1+2 region) neutral to La Niña conditio

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the report within the SPRFMO Scientific Committee context?

It provides information voluntarily by Peru to support scientific research work in the SPRFMO Scientific Committee, while clarifying the scope of applicability within Peruvian jurisdictional waters.

How does El Niño affect the Peruvian marine ecosystem and fisheries?

El Niño generates strong changes in oceanographic and climate conditions, altering plankton productivity and triggering antagonistic reactions in fishery species through changes in distribution patterns and physiological processes like growth and reproduction.

What does the report say about sea surface temperature anomalies in early September 2023?

It states that SST anomalies in the far South Eastern Tropical Pacific ranged from about +1 °C to +4 °C on average, with peak values off Northern Peru and Ecuador (Niño 1+2) and lower values off Southern Peru and Northern Chile.

Oct 29, 2026

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