Marine iguanas depend on marine algae that disappears during El Nino warming events. Understanding these welfare crises informs conservation responses for this unique species.
Marine iguana welfare during El Nino events illustrates how natural climate variability can cause large-scale wildlife suffering. Starvation causes iguanas to first deplete fat reserves, then reabsorb bone mineral in a remarkable but welfare-compromising adaptation to survive famine. Surviving animals are severely weakened and vulnerable to predation. The increasingly severe El Nino events associated with climate change amplify these welfare impacts. While human intervention during El Nino events is impractical at scale, protecting the Galapagos ecosystem from other stressors — invasive species, pollution, tourist pressure — maintains resilience.