transport of larvae and improved chances for dispersion
and recruitment of corals originating in the Central Pacific
to the Eastern Pacific (Glynn and Ault, 2000).
Secondary biological impacts
Secondary impacts to corals following ENSO include
bioerosion, predation, and increased susceptibility to disease. Accelerated rates of bioerosion by echinoids occur
after coral skeletons are denuded of live tissue allowing
overgrowth by algae. As the echinoids browse, they remove
small amounts of carbonate, and when populations are high,
entire reef structures can be eliminated. This was observed
following the 1982–1983 ENSO, where pocilloporid reefs
were reduced to sand and rubble by the echinoids Eucidaris
galapagensis (in Galapagos) and Diadema mexicanum (in
Panama) (Glynn, 1988; Eakin, 2001).
Reductions of coral populations directly affect their
predators (corallivores), such as the Crown of Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci). When less prey are available,
predator populations decrease. Furthermore, focused predation on surviving coral colonies can result in addition
loss of coral cover. Since ENSO-related mortality is
greater in some coral species than others, prey switching
may occur, especially if more desirable species suffer population declines (Glynn, 1990).
Summary
El Niño, La Niña, and ENSO are related but distinct phenomena that affect corals, particularly in the eastern tropical Pacific. Teleconnections to adjacent regions also
affect corals in the Western Caribbean, Central and Western Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. Elevated temperature
anomalies result in up to 99% coral mortality in the most
strongly affected areas. Other impacts related to ENSO,
notably sub-aerial exposure associated with sea level
decrease, also negatively affect corals.
Bibliography
Baker, A. C., 2004. Corals’ adaptive response to climate change.
Nature, 430, 741.
Brown, B. E., and Suharsono, 1990. Damage and recovery of coral
reefs affected by El Niño related seawater warming in the
Thousand Islands, Indonesia. Coral Reefs, 8, 163–170.
Coffroth, M. A., Lasker, H. R., and Oliver, J. K., 1990. Coral mortality outside of the eastern Pacific during the 1982–83, relationship to El Niño. In Glynn, P. W. (ed.), Global Ecological
Consequences of the 1982–83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation.
Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 141–182.
Colley, S. B., Glynn, P. W., and May, A. S., 2006. Species-dependent
reproductive responses of eastern Pacific corals to the 1997–1998
ENSO event. In Proceedings of the 10th International Coral reef
Symposium, Okinawa, Japan, Session 1–2-A, pp. 61–70.
Eakin, C. M., 2001. A tale of two ENSO events: carbonate budgets
and the influence of two warming disturbances and intervening
variability, Uva Island, Panama. Bulletin of Marine Science,
69, 171–186.
Enfield, D. B., 1989. El Niño, past and present. Review of Geophysics, 27(2), 159–187.
Enfield, D. B., 2001. Evolution and historical perspective of the
1997–1998 El Niño – Southern Oscillation event. Bulletin of
Marine Science, 69, 7–25.
Enfield, D. B., and Cid, L., 1991. Low-frequency changes in El
Niño-Southern Oscillation. Journal of Climate, 4, 1137–1146.
Feingold, J. S., 1996. Coral survivors of the 1982–83 El Niño –
Southern Oscillation, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Coral Reefs,
15, 108.
Fiedler, P. C., Chavez, F. P., Behringer, D. W., and Reilly, S. B.,
1992. Physical and biological effects of Los Niños in the eastern
tropical Pacific, 1986–1989. Deep-Sea Research, 39, 199–219.
Glynn, P. W., 1988. El Niño warming, coral mortality and reef
framework destruction by echinoid bioerosion in the eastern
Pacific. Galaxea, 7, 129–160.
Glynn, P. W., 1990. Coral mortality and disturbances to coral reefs
in the tropical eastern Pacific. In Glynn, P. W. (ed.), Global Ecological Consequences of the 1982–83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 55–126.
Glynn, P. W., 2001. Preface, a collection of studies on the effects of
the 1997–1998 El Niño-Southern Oscillation event on corals and
coral reefs in the eastern tropical Pacific. Bulletin of Marine Science, 69, 1–4.
Glynn, P. W., and Ault, J. S., 2000. A biogeographic analysis and
review of the far eastern Pacific coral reef region. Coral Reefs,
19, 1–23.
Glynn, P. W. and D’Croz, L., 1990. Experimental evidence for high
temperature stress as the cause of El Niño-coincident coral mortality. Coral Reefs, 8, 181–191.
Glynn, P. W., Cortés, J., Guzmán, H. M., and Richmond, R. H.,
1988. El Niño (1982–83) associated coral mortality and relationship to sea surface temperature deviations in the tropical Eastern
Pacific. In Proceedings of the 6th International Coral Reef Symposium, Townesville, Vol. 3, pp. 237–243.
Glynn, P. W., Maté, J., Baker, A. C., and Calderon, M. O., 2001.
Coral bleaching and mortality in Panama and Ecuador during
the 1997–1998 El Niño – Southern Oscillation event: spatial/
temporal patterns and comparisons with the 1982–1983 event.
Bulletin of Marine Science, 69, 79–109.
Guzmán, H. M., and Cortés, J., 2001. Changes in reef community
structure after fifteen years of natural disturbances in the
Eastern Pacific (Costa Rica). Bulletin of Marine Science, 69,
133–149.
Hoegh-Guldberg, O., 1999. Climate change, coral bleaching, and
the future of the world’s coral reefs. Marine Freshwater
Research, 50, 839–866.
Holland, G. J., 2009. Predicting El Niño’s impacts. Science, 325, 47.
Jokiel, P. L., Coles, S. L., 1990. Response of Hawaiian and other
Indo-Pacific reef corals to elevated temperature. Coral Reefs,
8, 155–162.
Kerr, R. A., 1983. Fading El Niño broadening scientists’ view. Science, 221, 940–941.
NOAA National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center/NCEP,
2009. El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.cpc.noaa.
gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html.
Philander, S. G. H., 1983. Anomalous El Niño of 1982–83. Nature,
305, 16.
Philander, S. G. H., 1985. El Niño and La Niña. Journal of Atmospheric Science, 42, 2652–2662.
Philander, S. G. H., 1990. El Niño, La Niña, and the Southern Oscillation. San Diego: Academic Press.
Wilkinson, C., 2000. Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2000.
Townsville, Queensland: Australian institute of Marine Science.
Wilkinson, C., Lindén, O., Cesar, H., Hodgson, G., Rubens, J., and
Strong, J.E., 1999. Ecological and socioeconomic impacts of
1998 coral mortality in the Indian Ocean: an ENSO impact and
a warning of future change? AMBIO, 28(2), 188–196.
Yamaguchi, M., 1975. Sea level fluctuations and mass mortalities
of reef animals in Guam, Mariana Islands. Micronesica, 11,
227–243.
EL NIN ˜ O, LA NIN ˜ A, AND ENSO
367
and recruitment of corals originating in the Central Pacific
to the Eastern Pacific (Glynn and Ault, 2000).
Secondary biological impacts
Secondary impacts to corals following ENSO include
bioerosion, predation, and increased susceptibility to disease. Accelerated rates of bioerosion by echinoids occur
after coral skeletons are denuded of live tissue allowing
overgrowth by algae. As the echinoids browse, they remove
small amounts of carbonate, and when populations are high,
entire reef structures can be eliminated. This was observed
following the 1982–1983 ENSO, where pocilloporid reefs
were reduced to sand and rubble by the echinoids Eucidaris
galapagensis (in Galapagos) and Diadema mexicanum (in
Panama) (Glynn, 1988; Eakin, 2001).
Reductions of coral populations directly affect their
predators (corallivores), such as the Crown of Thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci). When less prey are available,
predator populations decrease. Furthermore, focused predation on surviving coral colonies can result in addition
loss of coral cover. Since ENSO-related mortality is
greater in some coral species than others, prey switching
may occur, especially if more desirable species suffer population declines (Glynn, 1990).
Summary
El Niño, La Niña, and ENSO are related but distinct phenomena that affect corals, particularly in the eastern tropical Pacific. Teleconnections to adjacent regions also
affect corals in the Western Caribbean, Central and Western Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. Elevated temperature
anomalies result in up to 99% coral mortality in the most
strongly affected areas. Other impacts related to ENSO,
notably sub-aerial exposure associated with sea level
decrease, also negatively affect corals.
Bibliography
Baker, A. C., 2004. Corals’ adaptive response to climate change.
Nature, 430, 741.
Brown, B. E., and Suharsono, 1990. Damage and recovery of coral
reefs affected by El Niño related seawater warming in the
Thousand Islands, Indonesia. Coral Reefs, 8, 163–170.
Coffroth, M. A., Lasker, H. R., and Oliver, J. K., 1990. Coral mortality outside of the eastern Pacific during the 1982–83, relationship to El Niño. In Glynn, P. W. (ed.), Global Ecological
Consequences of the 1982–83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation.
Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 141–182.
Colley, S. B., Glynn, P. W., and May, A. S., 2006. Species-dependent
reproductive responses of eastern Pacific corals to the 1997–1998
ENSO event. In Proceedings of the 10th International Coral reef
Symposium, Okinawa, Japan, Session 1–2-A, pp. 61–70.
Eakin, C. M., 2001. A tale of two ENSO events: carbonate budgets
and the influence of two warming disturbances and intervening
variability, Uva Island, Panama. Bulletin of Marine Science,
69, 171–186.
Enfield, D. B., 1989. El Niño, past and present. Review of Geophysics, 27(2), 159–187.
Enfield, D. B., 2001. Evolution and historical perspective of the
1997–1998 El Niño – Southern Oscillation event. Bulletin of
Marine Science, 69, 7–25.
Enfield, D. B., and Cid, L., 1991. Low-frequency changes in El
Niño-Southern Oscillation. Journal of Climate, 4, 1137–1146.
Feingold, J. S., 1996. Coral survivors of the 1982–83 El Niño –
Southern Oscillation, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Coral Reefs,
15, 108.
Fiedler, P. C., Chavez, F. P., Behringer, D. W., and Reilly, S. B.,
1992. Physical and biological effects of Los Niños in the eastern
tropical Pacific, 1986–1989. Deep-Sea Research, 39, 199–219.
Glynn, P. W., 1988. El Niño warming, coral mortality and reef
framework destruction by echinoid bioerosion in the eastern
Pacific. Galaxea, 7, 129–160.
Glynn, P. W., 1990. Coral mortality and disturbances to coral reefs
in the tropical eastern Pacific. In Glynn, P. W. (ed.), Global Ecological Consequences of the 1982–83 El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 55–126.
Glynn, P. W., 2001. Preface, a collection of studies on the effects of
the 1997–1998 El Niño-Southern Oscillation event on corals and
coral reefs in the eastern tropical Pacific. Bulletin of Marine Science, 69, 1–4.
Glynn, P. W., and Ault, J. S., 2000. A biogeographic analysis and
review of the far eastern Pacific coral reef region. Coral Reefs,
19, 1–23.
Glynn, P. W. and D’Croz, L., 1990. Experimental evidence for high
temperature stress as the cause of El Niño-coincident coral mortality. Coral Reefs, 8, 181–191.
Glynn, P. W., Cortés, J., Guzmán, H. M., and Richmond, R. H.,
1988. El Niño (1982–83) associated coral mortality and relationship to sea surface temperature deviations in the tropical Eastern
Pacific. In Proceedings of the 6th International Coral Reef Symposium, Townesville, Vol. 3, pp. 237–243.
Glynn, P. W., Maté, J., Baker, A. C., and Calderon, M. O., 2001.
Coral bleaching and mortality in Panama and Ecuador during
the 1997–1998 El Niño – Southern Oscillation event: spatial/
temporal patterns and comparisons with the 1982–1983 event.
Bulletin of Marine Science, 69, 79–109.
Guzmán, H. M., and Cortés, J., 2001. Changes in reef community
structure after fifteen years of natural disturbances in the
Eastern Pacific (Costa Rica). Bulletin of Marine Science, 69,
133–149.
Hoegh-Guldberg, O., 1999. Climate change, coral bleaching, and
the future of the world’s coral reefs. Marine Freshwater
Research, 50, 839–866.
Holland, G. J., 2009. Predicting El Niño’s impacts. Science, 325, 47.
Jokiel, P. L., Coles, S. L., 1990. Response of Hawaiian and other
Indo-Pacific reef corals to elevated temperature. Coral Reefs,
8, 155–162.
Kerr, R. A., 1983. Fading El Niño broadening scientists’ view. Science, 221, 940–941.
NOAA National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center/NCEP,
2009. El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Diagnostic Discussion. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.cpc.noaa.
gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html.
Philander, S. G. H., 1983. Anomalous El Niño of 1982–83. Nature,
305, 16.
Philander, S. G. H., 1985. El Niño and La Niña. Journal of Atmospheric Science, 42, 2652–2662.
Philander, S. G. H., 1990. El Niño, La Niña, and the Southern Oscillation. San Diego: Academic Press.
Wilkinson, C., 2000. Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2000.
Townsville, Queensland: Australian institute of Marine Science.
Wilkinson, C., Lindén, O., Cesar, H., Hodgson, G., Rubens, J., and
Strong, J.E., 1999. Ecological and socioeconomic impacts of
1998 coral mortality in the Indian Ocean: an ENSO impact and
a warning of future change? AMBIO, 28(2), 188–196.
Yamaguchi, M., 1975. Sea level fluctuations and mass mortalities
of reef animals in Guam, Mariana Islands. Micronesica, 11,
227–243.
EL NIN ˜ O, LA NIN ˜ A, AND ENSO
367