CENSOR - Climate variability and El Niño Southern Oscillation: Implications for natural coastal Resources and management

The CENSOR project enhanced the detection, compilation and understanding of El Nino (EN) and La Nina (LN) effects on coastal marine environments and resources. A multidisciplinary approach built a comprehensive picture illustrating the response of the upwelling ecosystem to EN events. Scattered data on coastal benthic communities, coastal ichthyologic resources, pelagic-benthic processes and riverine input on coastal systems were compiled and analyzed comparatively under EN and non-EN conditions. Ecophysiological constraints and aquacultural demands were addressed. Results were integrated in a database and made available to the managers of marine environments and resources as well as to the public at large. Local artisanal fisheries and many commercial branches connected to them benefited from the findings in terms of economic and social interest for Chile and Peru, as well as for their environmental policy and social stability.