Damatac II & Santos: Possible Effects of El Niño on
Some Philippine Marine Fisheries Resources
Philippine Journal of Science
Vol. 145 No. 3, September 2016
Table 2. Summary of the effects of El Niño on selected marine
organisms and its corresponding impact on fisheries.
Resources
Effect on species
Impact
Primary
productivity
(Phytoplankton)
Increased biomass
Productive waters;
Enhanced coastal
upwelling; Red tides
Fishery
resources
(pelagic fishes;
invertebrates)
Displace distribution;
Change in larval
transport and
recruitment;
Sensitivity to salinity
changes
Reduced fisheries1;
Fish kills;
Limitations on
aquaculture
Corals
Bleaching to mortality
Reduction of
coral cover; Low
recruitment of fishes
Seaweeds
Desiccation; Displace
vertical distribution;
Occurrence of seaweed
diseases;
Reduced seaweed
production
Marine
mammals
Displace distribution
With exceptions on small pelagics such as sardines
1
This study presents an opportunity to assess the potential
effects of El Niño on some of our marine fisheries
resources and predicted scenarios provide information
to mitigate the consequences of incoming ENSO events
and reduce the loss of biodiversity and negative impacts
on marine fisheries. Moreover, based on this review,
one can draw that there is an urgent need to implement
existing climate change-related research, development,
and extensions plans in the country to better understand
and mitigate the effect of incoming El Niño events in the
country.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Dr. Laura David of UPMSI for providing additional references on El Niño studies
in the Philippines and Dr. Ma. Dolores Tongco of UP-IB
for helping improve the content of the paper. The authors
would also like to thank Michael Mendiola for redrawing
Figures 1 and 2. The National Fisheries Research and
Development Institute, Philippines provided the funds
for the completion of the paper.
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