El Niño is back, and ocean temperatures are already near record highs – that can spell disaster for fish and corals

El Niño can trigger intense periods of extreme ocean warming known as marine heat waves that can devastate marine life.

By: Dillon Amaya, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 12, 2026

Words: 1,198

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

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By Dillon Amaya, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

It’s official: El Niño is back. By late fall 2026, forecast models give a 2-in-3 chance of a strong-to-very strong El Niño affecting the weather, climate and ocean temperatures across the planet.

El Niño is the climate system’s biggest player and one side of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. It’s the heads to La Niña’s tails.

During El Niño, a swath of ocean stretching 6,000 …

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