Decline in richness of marine life near equator 赤道附近海洋生物多樣性有所下降

學習要點

有關 “climate change（氣候變化）” 的詞匯

邊看邊答

What has risen by nearly 0.2 degrees Celsius since 1955?

文字稿

The tropics, off the coast of Cuba. For thousands of years, these waters have been one of the hotspots of life in the ocean. But in seas like this – near the Earth’s equator – the richness of marine life is shrinking due to climate change.

這是古巴海岸附近的熱帶地區。數千年以來，這片水域一直是眾多海洋生物聚集的熱點地區之一。但在這種靠近地球赤道的海域裡，海洋生物的多樣性正因氣候變化而縮減。

A new global study – the largest of its kind – has found that since 1955, open-water species declined by about half in tropical oceans. Sea surface temperatures rose by nearly 0.2 degrees Celsius. It’s happening faster than expected.

一項同類調查中規模最大的新全球研究發現，居住在熱帶海洋開闊水域的物種數量自1955年來減少瞭約一半。海面溫度上升瞭近0.2攝氏度。這比預期的速度要快。

Sebastian Ferse, coral reef researcher and ecologist
So in geological history, this is a [blip], so it’s just a wink of an eye. And to see such rapid changes, or such changes… occurring so rapidly, is something that’s astonishing, I would say.

塞巴斯蒂安·弗斯珊瑚礁研究員和生態學傢
“在地質史中，這是一個小插曲，隻是眨眼間的事情。看到如此迅速的變化，發生得如此之快，是一件令人吃驚的事情。”

Scientists analysed data on more than 48,000 marine species, including fish, molluscs, birds and corals.

科學傢們分析瞭超過48000種海洋物種的數據，包括魚類、軟體動物、鳥類和珊瑚。

It’s the latest research that shows the large systemic changes global warming has had on the biodiversity of the ocean.

這項最新研究揭示瞭一個巨大的系統性變化，這是全球變暖給海洋生物多樣性造成的影響。

And it suggests that the tropics are becoming too warm for many species to survive. Those species that can move are moving to cooler waters.

研究還發現，熱帶地區正變得過暖，暖得許多物種無法生存。那些能移動的物種正移向較冷的水域。

But for fixed species, like corals, moving is not an option. And staying put in warmer temperatures can lead to higher rates of coral bleaching.

但對於珊瑚這樣固定不動的物種來說，移動並不可行。而呆在更溫暖的環境中會導致珊瑚白化的速度加快。

These shifts could devastate the ecosystems left behind, and any fishing and tourism industries that rely on them. It’s another stark warning from scientists that unless we act soon to address the urgency of climate change, it will be too late.

這些變化可能會摧毀留在原處的生態系統，以及任何依賴這些生態系統的漁業和旅遊業。這是科學傢們發出的又一個嚴正警告：除非我們盡快采取行動，正視氣候變化的迫切性，否則將為時過晚。