NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Now that Halloween has passed, the attention of many people turns to the holiday season.

The question is, what will Mother Nature bring us this winter? At the Aquarium of Niagara, the animals are predicting what kind of winter we will have.

On Friday, the aquarium will be doing a Groundhog Day-style winter prediction. Staff members will present Stryker the harbor seal with a choice between two buoys, one with the word "cold" printed on it and the other with the word "frigid." They will toss the buoys into Striker's enclosure and see which one he chooses.

The event is designed to highlight the unique adaptations of the aquarium's rescued seals that enable them to thrive in even the most severe wintry weather conditions. Also, events like this attract more visitors to the aquarium, and a portion of the money that it raises helps to advance the science surrounding the protection of these animals.

"We have a lot of fun trying to come up with creative ways to take complex, scientific phenomena and events happening in the public, and in the world, and bring them down to something that's relatable and easy to understand," said Gary Siddall, president and CEO of the Aquarium of Niagara.

The world is preparing for an El Niño climate pattern this winter. This weather phenomenon can have an adverse effect on some animals like harbor seals and Humboldt penguins. It causes the surface temperature of the Pacific Ocean to be warmer and that means the cold-water fish they eat tend to migrate further away from the shore, which makes it harder for them to find food.

El Niño is a natural, cyclical event, but scientists say there is evidence that climate change is causing increased frequency and more severe conditions. The aquarium hopes Stryker can help raise awareness about the issue.

If you can't make it to the aquarium for Stryker Predicts the Winter, you can watch it live on Facebook.