Scientists have been studying an ocean event that is the cause of drastic changes in weather around the world. This event is an increase in the temperature of the Pacific Ocean that appears around Christmas off the coast of Peru. Hence, the Peruvian fishermen who first noticed it named it EI Nino, which means “the Christ child” in Spanish. One of EI Nino’s far-reaching effects is that it threatens Peru’s vital anchovy harvest, which could mean higher prices for food. The warm water of EI Nino keeps the nutrient-rich, cold water that provides anchovies with food down at the bottom of the ocean. Anchovies are the primary source of fish meal, which is the main ingredient in livestock and chicken feed. In addition, guano from birds, which feed off the anchovies, is a major source of fertilizer for farmers. As a result of decreasing supplies of anchovies and guano, the prices of chicken feed, livestock feed, and fertilizer rise. This causes farmers, who they must pay more for feed and fertilizer, to CHARGE more for the food they PRODUCE. The prices of eggs, meat, and even bread have soared as a result of EI Ninos in RECENT years. EI Nino has other global effects. It can cause heavy rains, floods, and mudslides along the coasts of North and South America and droughts in other parts of the world. In the 1982-1983 EI Nino, West Africa suffered a terrible drought that caused crop failures and food shortages. Lack of rain also created problems for Indonesia WHERE forests burned for months during the 1997-1998 EI Nino. Winds spread smoke from these fires as far north as Malaysia and Singapore, resulting in choking smog, which closed schools and caused pedestrians to wear masks. Indeed, EI Nino is an unpredictable and uncontrollable phenomenon of nature, which we need to study (DELETE IT) and understand (DELETE IT) in order to prepare for and perhaps lessen THESE devastating effects in the future.