Bay Nature reporter Daniella Garcia-Loos Almeida spoke with climate scientist Daniel Swain about potential local impacts of El Niño and a marine heat wave that’s been sitting off the coast of Southern California all year. The conversation has been condensed for space and clarity. Read more from Swain and other experts: A ‘Super’ El Niño Is Here. What Does It Mean for the Bay Area?

BN: How will El Niño and the marine heat wave interact and impact nature and the people of the Bay Area?

Keep exploring with Bay Nature

Become a Member to keep reading, plus enjoy a full year of Bay Nature online stories, four beautiful print issues, and talks and hikes that bring the natural world to life.

Join / Renew

Daniella Garcia-Loos Almeida (she/her) is a 2026-2027 editorial fellow at Bay Nature. She is a recent graduate from the UC Santa Cruz master’s program in Science Communication. She holds a bachelor’s in physics and English from Cornell University. Her work has been featured in Mongabay, Eos, San Jose Mercury News, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, and The Ithaca Times. In her free time, you can find her at punk shows screaming along.