An examination of the observational record in the Ross Sea over the period 1982--1994 indicates that there is a statistically significant relationship between the Ross Sea sea surface temperature (SST) and the ENSO signal in the tropical Pacific. During this period the Ross Sea SSTs lag the ENSO signal by 2--4 months with the highest correlation coefficient occurring with a lag of 3 months. Observations of the sea ice concentration during 1982--1994 also indicate a relation between the sea ice concentration in the Ross Sea and the ENSO cycle, with reduced sea ice concentrations in El Ni¿o years. ¿ 1997 American Geophysical Union