The impact of the strong 1997--1998 El Ni¿o event on nitrate distribution and new production in the equatorial Pacific is investigated, using a combination of satellite and in situ observations, and an ocean circulation-biogeochemical model. The general circulation model is forced with realistic wind stresses deduced from ERS-1 and ERS-2 scatterometers over the 1993--1998 period. Its outputs are used to drive a biogeochemical model where biology is parametrized as a nitrate sink. We first show that the models capture the essential circulation and biogeochemical equatorial features along with their temporal evolution during the 1997--1998 event, although the modeled variability seems underestimated. In particular, the model fails to reproduce unusual bloom conditions. This is attributed to the simplicity of the biological model. An analysis of the physical mechanisms responsible for the dramatic decrease of the biological equatorial production during El Ni¿o is then proposed. During the growth phase (November 1996 through June 1997), nitrate-poor waters of the western Pacific are advected eastward, and the vertical supply of nitrate is reduced due to nitracline deepening. These processes result in the invasion of the equatorial Pacific by nitrate-poor waters during the mature phase (November 1997 through January 1998). At that time, the central Pacific is nitrate limited and experiences warm pool oligotrophic conditions. As a result, the modeled new production over the equatorial Pacific drops by 40% compared to the mean 1993--1996 values. Then, while El Ni¿o conditions are still present at the surface, the nitracline shallows over most of the basin in early 1998. Therefore the strengthening of the trade winds in May 1998 efficiently switches on the nitrate vertical supply over a large part of the equatorial Pacific, leading to a rapid return of high biological production conditions. Strong La Ni¿a conditions then develop, resulting in a biologically rich tongue extending as far west as 160 ¿E for several months. ¿ 2001 American Geophysical Union