EL NIÑO'S POWERFUL REACH   What is
El Niño?
Clues From
the Past
Long Distance
Connections
Winners &
Losers
El Niño
Lowdown

Left 1 2 3 4 5 6 Guano Islands Right

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Workers in the 1860s excavate a "mountain" of guano more than 60 feet tall. Click to view full image.

Fertilizer was one of Peru's largest exports until the El Niño of 1877-78. Huge colonies of seabirds gather on Peru's coastal islands. At one time guano, the birds' droppings, supplied most of the world's fertilizer. But when an El Niño struck, massive numbers of seabirds died, and torrential rains partially dissolved the guano deposits. The guano industry totally collapsed after the severe El Niño in 1877-1878. This 2000-year old ceramic pot depicts rocks covered by guano
This 2000-year old ceramic pot depicts rocks covered by guano, which provided ancient farmers with fertilizer.