Monday December 9, 2024
NOAA Fisheries —
How did climate change impact ocean waters off the U.S. West Coast this past year? What does that tell us about the growth and survival of juvenile salmon for the years to come?
NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center researchers track ocean ecosystem indicators off Newport, on the Central Oregon Coast. This year, they showed varied oceanographic shifts in the northern California Current.
A strong El Niño event dominated the Pacific Ocean during the winter of 2023–24. It brought warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures and the lowest juvenile salmon prey indicators of the time series to the northern California Current. However, the picture changed in summer. Wind-driven upwelling delivered cooler-than-average ocean temperatures, and higher-than-average biomass of lipid-rich copepods. This signaled better conditions for juvenile salmon.