Ecosystem provides good forage for many species according to the latest California Current Ecosystem Status Report.
A new report shows cooler waters on the West Coast were sandwiched between a marine heatwave and historically hot, dry conditions on land in 2021. NOAA Fisheries researchers from the Northwest and Southwest Fisheries Science Centers presented these findings to the Pacific Fishery Management Council.
The California Current extends from California to Washington. The annual California Current Ecosystem Status Report captures the big picture of the biology, climate, physical, and social conditions of the marine ecosystem. The assessment informs fisheries management by showing how the ecosystem is connected and changing. This, in turn, affects the distribution and abundance of marine species from salmon to whales.
In 2021, the California Current continued a recent cooling trend, with researchers recording the coolest conditions on the continental shelf in nearly a decade. These cooler coastal waters resulted from strong wind-driven upwelling—nutrient-rich, deep ocean water coming to the surface.
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