OS021-08
ENSO-Driven Ocean Extremes and Their Ecosystem Impacts

Wednesday, 9 December 2020: 19:28
Virtual
Neil John Holbrook, University of Tasmania, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Hobart, TAS, Australia, Danielle C. Claar, University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, Seattle, WA, United States, Alistair J Hobday, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, TAS, Australia, Kathleen Lynne McInnes, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Climate Science Centre, Aspendale, VIC, Australia, Eric Oliver, Dalhousie University, Department of Oceanography, Halifax, NS, Canada, Alexander Sen Gupta, University of New South Wales, Climate Change Research Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Matthew J Widlansky, University of Hawaii at Manoa, JIMAR, Honolulu, HI, United States and Xuebin Zhang, CSIRO, Oceans & Atmosphere, Centre for Southern Hemisphere Oceans Research (CSHOR), Hobart, TAS, Australia
Recorded Presentation
Abstract:
El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events can cause extremes in the ocean environment that have substantial impacts on marine ecosystems. In the shallow‐water/coastal marine environment, ENSO‐related extremes in sea level and seawater temperature have been found to impact coral, kelp, seagrass, and mangrove ecosystems. Coastal impacts from sea level extremes include exposure of shallow‐water ecosystems and inundation in low‐lying areas. Ocean temperature extremes, including marine heatwaves, cause coral bleaching and can impact kelp and seagrass density. This paper, which represents a chapter in the new AGU ENSO book, reviews knowledge and understanding of ENSO’s role in sea level extremes and ocean temperature extremes, and their impacts on these key shallow‐water/coastal marine ecosystems.
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