The El Niño climate phenomenon represents a significant threat to endemic species of the Galápagos Islands, including Galápagos penguins and giant daisy trees. This meteorological event alters ocean patterns and water temperatures, directly affecting the unique ecosystems of these islands.
Giant daisy trees, known as Scalesia, are endemic to the archipelago and extremely vulnerable to climate change. Rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns caused by El Niño compromise the survival of these century-old trees.
Galápagos penguins, one of the few penguin species living in tropical waters, suffer devastating consequences during El Niño episodes. After the strong El Niño of 1998, only 400 of the 1,300 existing penguins survived, demonstrating the extreme fragility of this population.
The combination of these factors highlights the vulnerability of island ecosystems and the need for conservation strategies to protect these unique species from a climate phenomenon that tends to intensify.
