Sofar Ocean Publishes White Paper Examining El Niño's Impact on Port Infrastructure and Operations

This white paper examines how the unpredictable 2026 El Niño season is straining port operations worldwide, and how real time ocean data is helping ports adapt.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Sofar Ocean, the leading ocean intelligence platform, released a new white paper examining how the strengthening El Niño event is affecting port infrastructure and operations around the world.

El Niño conditions formed in June 2026 and are strengthening. NOAA expects the event to peak between October and December, with a 97% chance it persists into early spring 2027. Most models point to one of the strongest events on record incomparable to analogues in recent history.

Port infrastructure is built against historical averages. Dredging schedules, sailing drafts, tidal windows, mooring thresholds, and permit limits are all calibrated to a baseline that a strong El Niño event moves, and the direction it moves depends on where a port sits. Climate-related downtime modeled across 1,320 of the world's most critical ports already puts an estimated $81 billion of global trade, and at least $122 billion of wider economic activity, at risk in an average year.

The impact is not uniform. The white paper details how the Americas face higher water and increased surge, with