Rising ocean temperatures and intensifying El Niño conditions are pushing unusual marine species, including white sharks, blacktip sharks, and venomous sea snakes, into northern coastal waters across the United States, scientists reported on July 31, 2026.
The rapid shift in ocean currents and water temperatures is suppressing upwelling along the Pacific coast, forcing marine predators and prey to migrate beyond their typical ranges toward cooler regions.
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According to researchers at the Benioff Ocean Initiative at the University of California, Santa Barbara, a pre-existing marine heat wave combined with El Niño has accelerated the arrival of tropical species in California waters.
“We expect to see all kinds of weird tropical things come up with this warm water,” said Douglas McCauley, director of the Benioff Ocean Initiative.
McCauley noted that species such as mahi-mahi, bluefin tuna, sea turtles, and highly toxic yellow-bellied sea snakes are appearing far north of their traditional habitats.
“Some of these kinds of interesting oddities that are never a part of California will become part of this temporarily tropical El Niño-heated California,” McCauley said.
Shifting Prey and Predators
Research from Long Beach State University's Shark Lab indicates that reduced upwelling disrupts the supply of zooplankton and small fish, pushing prey species like squid, anchovies, and sardines northward.
“We get this whole different ocean,” said Chris Lowe, a professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab.
Lowe explained that warmer ocean conditions attract brown stingrays, which in turn draw juvenile white sharks closer to populated shorelines.
