El Niño Effects Threaten Marine Mammals’ Feeding Grounds

El Niño-driven warming of ocean waters could affect the feeding grounds on which marine mammals depend, Sri Lanka’s wildlife authorities have warned.

Ranjan Marasinghe, director general of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, said changes in ocean currents caused by higher water temperatures could also severely affect feeding areas associated with coral reefs and marine plants.

He said directly controlling ocean temperatures is more difficult than managing temperature impacts on land ecosystems. For that reason, officials have prepared plans focused not only on reducing possible damage but also on restoring affected areas as quickly as possible.

Marasinghe said coral bleaching can occur normally during hot periods and that minor bleaching has so far been reported at two locations. He stressed, however, that it had not yet developed into significant destruction.

Manjula Amararatne, the department’s additional director general for operations, said coral reefs are highly sensitive to seawater temperatures and could suffer severe impacts as temperatures rise.

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Coral reefs are highly sensitive to seawater temperatures, so rising temperatures can have severe impacts on them.