What is happening with the Pacific Ocean?

[Joy Alexander]

I just got back from a day at one of the Pacific Beaches here in Panama.  The sea was unusually warm.  We spoke with the owner of one of the resorts -- this is a man who was born, raised, and currently still lives by the ocean.  He told us that just the past several months there have been approx 120 turtles that were dead on the shore… also birds that typically stay out at one of the islands were also found dead…  and at night the breeze from the ocean is HOT.   This is very strange.   What is even more odd is that when I went searching online for information, I found very little -- except an article from this past April talking about how a " giant blob" (that's the term that was used) stretching over 1,000 miles has heated up from 2 to 7 degrees since 2013 -- and scientists have no idea what is going on.  Sea animals are dying by the thousands.   This is so sad -- and so strange… that I was driven to post here on 'ning.   ……   so, what do you all think is going on???    :(

[Safe Home Security of Panama]

Please document what you are saying so I can have more information. Any White Papers? Is this coming from a trustworthy creditable source? I also was just in San Carlos and received no reports of 120 dead sea turtles.

I have some friends in San Carlos, that are involved here with Sea Turtle Conservation. Also have you contacted the Smithsonian in Panama? Maybe they can help.

Also the oceans are facing severe pollution from both carcinogens and harmful nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) causing toxic algal blooms and depletion of oxygen or dead zones. This is an area I worked on for many years. An interesting article by a good friend Dr. Brian LaPointe:

http://thebluepaper.com/article/sloan-the-reef-is-95-percent-dead/

Yes the sea needs help, today 1 out of 1000 sea turtles survive, 10 years ago it was 1 out of 100 survived. Sad.

Thank you,

Lori

[Mark Heyer]

Just to add a little more info to the discussion, el Nino, also known as ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) is the largest weather phenomenon on the earth. It is studied intensely by climate scientists and observed daily by satellites.

They are caused because "normally" the trade winds blowing from east to west across the Pacific push water warmed by the sun into the "Pacific Warm Pool" an immense reservoir of warm water around Indonesia. If the trade winds slow down or blow the reverse direction, a jet of warm water shoots across the equator toward us, just like sloshing in a bath tub.

The opposite of an el Nino is a la Nina, when the trade winds blow harder to the west and pull cold water up along our coast. The cycle is entirely natural and is very unpredictable. When a really big one happens, like 1997/98, it can warm the entire planet, as happened at that time.

It is likely that we will experience a moderate to strong el Nino this year, but as I said, they are completely unpredictable. 

Here is a picture of the situation today:

And here is the historical record of the cycles:

There are many sources for ENSO scientific information. I got this from the first one on the Google list, Columbia University:

http://iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu/SOURCES/.Indices/ensomonitor.html

[Joanne]

When I lived in CA they had beaches close for red tide as well.  So I guess the answer to your question is Yes. lol

[Jim Tosch]

If you want to get really confused Google " The blob NOAA".

[wryawry]

The only explanation you'll likely ever need about scientific phenomena may evidently be found right over there in "Groups". Because gay people.

[Bernie Moscovitz]

This Daily Mail online article seems to indicate we have both a blob and El Nino. I  am no weather expert, Just find this fascinating and had no idea it has already shut down west coast US crab fishery etc,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3140874/The-green-mo...

[Bernie Moscovitz]

This article is interesting with some decent sources: 

http://www.naturalnews.com/049523_Pacific_Ocean_warm_blob_climate_a...

[Jim Tosch]

Joy, your response is admirable for the nature of Ning. The possibility is this El Niño could be the strongest in recorded history.
It will be a few more months to know but brace yourself,the odds are increasing.

[Joy Alexander]

Thanks for posting, Bernie.  What is additionally interesting is that no one is researching the potential link between Fukushima and the "blob"…  

I truly hope it is El Nino.  

[Jim Tosch]

I don't know what to say. It's El Niño. Please look it up. You will be pleased to understand an event that will change storm patterns, food prices and temperatures in Panama for possibly six months or more. If you like to know stuff, this is your big chance.