UC Davis researchers in fields ranging from meteorology to economics are carefully eyeing this year's landmark El Niño weather phenomenon. The unusual ocean-current and weather conditions trigger a cascade of effects on creatures ranging from the tiniest zooplankton to marine fish and birds, and humans. UC Davis scientists are looking especially closely at impacts on agriculture, climate, economics, fisheries and ecosystems. El Niños occur when the trade winds that normally blow westward across the tropical Pacific Ocean relax, and the warm water in the western Pacific drifts back toward Peru and up the coasts of South America and North America. This abnormal marine flow in turn affects the atmosphere, typically resulting in increased rainfall in Peru and across the southern part of the United States, and drought in the western Pacific region. A guide to El Niño news sources at UC Davis is available on the Web at http://www-news.ucdavis.edu/PubComm/ or can be obtained via fax from the UC Davis News Service.