UC Davis researchers in fields ranging from meteorology toeconomics are carefully eyeing this year's landmark El Ninoweather phenomenon.The unusual ocean-current and weather conditions trigger acascade of effects on creatures ranging from the tiniestzooplankton to marine fish and birds, and humans. UC Davisscientists are looking especially closely at impacts onagriculture, climate, economics, fisheries and ecosystems.El Ninos occur when the trade winds that normally blowwestward across the tropical Pacific Ocean relax, and thewarm water in the western Pacific drifts back toward Peru andup the coasts of South America and North America. Thisabnormal marine flow in turn affects the atmosphere,typically resulting in increased rainfall in Peru and acrossthe southern part of the United States, and drought in thewestern Pacific region.A guide to El Nino news sources at UC Davis is available onthe Web at http://www-news.ucdavis.edu/PubComm/ or can beobtained via fax from the UC Davis News Service.