Global warming is beneficial for squid populations

   In late May 2026, the U.S. National Climate Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) simultaneously confirmed that the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean had officially entered an El Niño state. It is expected to reach moderate to strong intensity this summer and fall, lasting at least until the end of the year; there is a 96% probability that it will continue into the winter of 2026-2027, and a 25% chance that it will develop into a super-strong El Niño.

   Global warming is beneficial for squid populations. The warming of ocean waters caused by El Niño may have some impacts on marine life, coastal communities, and the economy, especially on seafood that is sensitive to marine factors such as water temperature and salinity, such as squid and tuna (optimal water temperature 15-20°C, tuna 20-25°C). Whether these seafoods will experience a significant reduction in production and a surge in prices in the second half of 2026 has become a major concern in the industry. However, global ocean warming in recent years seems to be beneficial to squid populations. A 2016 study published in *Current Biology* by an Australian research institution, titled "Global Reproduction of Cephalopods," concluded that cephalopod populations have increased globally. The authors analyzed data from major ocean regions worldwide and found that cephalopod populations have increased over the past 60 years. This suggests that these ecologically and commercially important invertebrates may have benefited from a changing marine environment. A 2016 study on squid in the North Sea and Northeast Atlantic, also published in the *Journal of Biogeography*, similarly concluded that "climate change appears to have been largely favorable to squid for at least the past 35 years." According to a 2022 study led by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), scientists found that squid populations along the US West Coast increased fivefold from 1998 to 2019, from the central coast of California to the northern tip of Washington state, due to ocean heat waves pushing these invertebrates further north than they are typically caught.