Marine iguanas face acute welfare threats from El Nino events that eliminate their primary food source.
Marine iguana welfare is acutely sensitive to El Nino events that eliminate their primary food source in a matter of weeks. Iguanas that cannot find sufficient algae lose body condition rapidly — their skeletal shrinkage adaptation buys time but cannot compensate for severe food shortage indefinitely. Mass starvation events during El Nino years cause significant individual suffering and population crashes. The expected intensification of El Nino events under climate change means these welfare crises will occur more frequently and severely. Conservation interventions that protect algae bed diversity and recovery capacity help maintain food availability between and during El Nino events.