Galápagos Damselfish Extinction Linked to 1982-83 El Niño Event
The Galápagos damselfish, a small blue-gray fish once common along the rocky shores of the Galápagos Islands, is now likely extinct according to a recent paper by Jack Stein Grove and Benjamin Victor. The species has not been recorded since 1983, following the intense 1982-83 El Niño Southern Oscillation. This event disrupted the cold, nutrient-rich upwelling that sustains the islands' marine ecosystem, leading to warmer, less productive waters and a reduction in plankton. As an obligate planktivore, the damselfish was highly dependent on steady productivity and confined to shallow, exposed shorelines, making it vulnerable to prolonged environmental changes. Despite extensive searches by scientists, guides, and photographers, the species has not been found, suggesting its extinction. 
