The 2014-2015 Pacific Anomalies: A View from the Columbia River Estuary

Extraordinarily warm sea surface temperatures have been present in the NE Pacific starting in the winter of 2013-2014. The extent and impact of this anomalous ocean condition on nearshore environments of the U.S. West Coast is of ecological concern, with implications throughout the food web. Here we report evidence of the 2014-2015 anomalies moving onshore and entering the Columbia River, as measured by endurance instruments deployed in the salt-wedge region of the estuary. Ocean end-member water temperatures estimated from the instruments are a strong indicator of the position of the warm anomaly relative to shore. The instruments are a part of the SATURN endurance observation network (stccmop.org/saturn).