1982–83 El Niño event

Impacts

The 1982–83 El Niño event changed the normal location of cold and warm waters around the Galápagos Islands, killing many of the macroalgae at the base of the food chain and increasing predation on the survivors by starving animals. One endemic species of cold water algae, Desmarestia tropica, is often held as being driven to extinction by this crisis, having not been observed by researchers since 1972. Two animal species, the Galápagos damselfish (which was considered "rare" before the event) and the 24-rayed sunstar, have not been seen since this El Niño event. Up in the food chain, the crisis led to declines of 77% among Galápagos penguins, 49% among flightless cormorants, and 25% among adult Peruviansea lions and fur seals, plus the loss of the entire pup population in the latter two.