May 19, 2026 — Marine heatwaves can wreak all sorts of havoc in Alaska: last year, a marine heatwave in the North Pacific ocean fueled Typhoon Halong, which devastated Alaskan communities. This summer there could be an extra hiccup: a strong El Niño event is likely according to the World Meteorological Organization, which could make the effects of a heatwave even worse.
El Niño events happen as a result of slower trade winds along the equator, which slows down the upwelling of cold water from deep in the ocean and causes overall warmer water conditions.
“We’re expecting a massive El Niño this year,” said Alaska Fisheries Science Center Director Bob Foy during a commercial fisheries trade show in Kodiak on April 16. “And it’s going to be larger than usual, it’s going to make its way to Alaska, we’ll probably see the effects of it this summer.”
The El Niño event could hit as another marine heatwave is brewing. Marine heatwaves happen when the temperature of the ocean is 4-5 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the baseline average for that area. According to research from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska have been generally trending upwards over the past fifty years, with an average increase of around 0.2 degrees C per decade. But marine heatwaves across the Pacific have hit even higher temperatures, and have become more frequent since the mid 2010s.