El Niño’s Global Impacts, Changing Science Funding and Public Trust in Scientists

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El Niño’s far-reaching effects are already being felt

This year’s El Niño phenomenon is expected to be unprecedentedly strong. It is also the first strong El Niño to occur in the eastern, rather than central, Pacific Ocean since the late 1990s, when global temperatures were cooler. Combined with the climate crisis, these factors make the phenomenon’s effects difficult to predict, experts say. So far, the impacts are similar to those of previous strong El Niño events — and they are far-reaching.

• Panama Canal: Drought in Central America has disrupted shipping through the canal.
• Peru’s anchovy fishery: Harvesting was halted early in one of the world’s most productive fisheries after fish fled warmer waters.
• Southern and eastern Africa: Tens of millions of people are expected to face severe food insecurity as dry weather combines with rising fuel and fertilizer prices.

Nature | 7 min read

Read more: The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO announced an online tool for cultural heritage professionals and policymakers preparing for El Niño’s impact on cultural institutions.

NSF outlines changes to research grant funding

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is changing how it procures research grants and decides which grants to fund, aligning its approach with the priorities of President Donald Trump’s administration.

The NSF’s letter describes a shift to a “portfolio-based” approach to grantmaking. This model would combine traditional investigator-led research with “NSF-led opportunities”, although the agency has not revealed what those opportunities will involve.

Agency staff who spoke to Nature fear that the change could further restrict discovery-oriented, curiosity-driven research.

Nature | 6 min read

Reference: NSF statement

This week’s infographic: Who does the UK public trust in science?

Nearly two-thirds of the 4,262 UK adults surveyed said they trusted scientists, assigning them a score of 7 or higher on a scale from 0 to 10.

The most influential factors were whether respondents felt scientists were “on the side of people like them” and whether they believed scientists were open and transparent. Respondents said that proactively correcting misinformation and explaining how research improves people’s lives were almost equally important for building trust.

Nature | 6 min read

Features and impressions

Wildlife trafficking threatens reptiles and amphibians

The trade in “exotic” wild animals disproportionately harms reptiles and amphibians, wildlife conservationists and animal-rights groups write. Legal gaps enable unsustainable trade, but the upcoming Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime conference offers an unprecedented opportunity for reform.

Governments around the world must strengthen the international response to wildlife trafficking to protect reptiles and amphibians affected by the pet trade, the group writes.

Nature | 10 min read

Five science books to read this week

Andrew Robinson’s top five science books include the physics of spaceflight and the story of a pioneer of the polio vaccine.

Nature | 4 min read

Can you find the penguin?

On Friday, Leif Penguinson was exploring Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp, the largest blackwater wetland in North America. Did you find the penguin? When you’re ready, see the answer.

Thank you for reading,

Flora Graham, Nature Briefing Editor-in-Chief

Contributed by Jacob Smith

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