NASA finds equatorial Pacific cerulean as El Nino reduces phytoplankton
Technology
NASA just spotted something wild: the water color around the equatorial band of the Pacific has shifted from its usual green to a cerulean blue, all thanks to a powerful El Nino.
This weather pattern is heating up the ocean and reducing phytoplankton populations sharply, the tiny organisms that keep the ocean green and are super important for sea life.
California governor declares El Nino emergency
With temperatures in the eastern Pacific now roughly 3 degrees above the long-term average, experts say this could be the strongest El Nino in 75 years.
That means big trouble for marine ecosystems and more risk of coastal flooding.
Things have gotten so intense that California's governor has declared a statewide emergency.