Plastic pollution in the ocean creates new habitat 塑料垃圾成為海洋生物的新棲息地

在被稱為 “太平洋垃圾帶” 的開闊海洋地區，科學傢發現瞭生活在塑料殘渣上的海洋生物。

There are at least five hotspots of floating plastic in the global ocean.

全球海洋中至少有五個漂浮著塑料的熱點地區。

These are gyres, where circulating currents trap debris. This one – the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch – is the largest, with almost 80,000 tonnes distributed over 600,000 square miles.

這些都是海洋環流地帶，而環流會聚集殘渣。其中，這個被稱為 “太平洋垃圾帶” 的區域最大，有8萬噸垃圾分佈在60萬平方英裡范圍內。

The scientists teamed up with a charity that collects old fishing gear and other litter from the ocean, and gathered hundreds of plastic items to study in the lab.

科學傢們與一傢從海洋中收集舊漁具和其它垃圾的慈善機構合作，采撈瞭數以百計的塑料物品，送到實驗室進行研究。

They found plants and animals, including anemones, tiny marine bugs, molluscs, and crabs on 90% of the debris they examined.

他們在90%的塑料殘渣上發現瞭動植物，包括海葵、微小的海洋昆蟲、軟體動物和螃蟹。

As well as creating a semi-permanent floating habitat for coastal species in the open ocean, the researchers say all this plastic could be providing invasive species with rafts that allow them to cross the Pacific.

研究人員表示，這些塑料除瞭在開闊海洋中為沿海物種創造瞭一個半永久性的漂浮棲息地以外，也可以成為入侵物種的 “筏子”，使其穿越太平洋。

This, they say, is yet another unintended consequence of plastic pollution for the ocean.

他們指出，這是海洋塑料污染的另一個意想不到的後果。

詞匯表

hotspots 熱點地帶
gyres 海洋環流
circulating 循環流動的
debris 碎片，殘渣
litter 垃圾
anemones 海葵
molluscs 軟體動物
rafts 筏子，浮墊

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。

1. How many hotspots of floating plastic debris are thought to be in the ocean?

2. How big is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

3. What made up 90% of the debris scientists examined from the gyre?

4. What is one possible unintended consequence of plastic pollution mentioned?

答案

1. How many hotspots of floating plastic debris are thought to be in the ocean?
There are at least five hotspots of floating plastic in the global ocean.

2. How big is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
The so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest, with almost 80,000 tonnes distributed over 600,000 square miles.

3. What made up 90% of the debris scientists examined from the gyre?
Scientists found plants and animals, including anemones, tiny marine bugs, molluscs, and crabs made up 90 % of the debris they examined.

4. What is one possible unintended consequence of plastic pollution mentioned?
The researchers say all this plastic could be providing invasive species with rafts that allow them to cross the Pacific.