科学美国人60秒 SSS 用信天翁监测非法渔船

This is Scientific American's 60-second Science, I'm Christopher Intagliata.

这里是科学美国人——60秒科学系列，我是克里斯托弗·因塔格里塔。

If you've ever been on a fishing boat, you've probably seen flocks of birds following in your wake, hoping to catch a snack. Now scientists say they can use those birds' behavior to track illegal fishing boats.

如果你上过渔船，可能会看到成群的鸟儿追随尾浪，希望能蹭点吃的。现在科学家说他们能利用这些鸟类行为来追踪非法渔船。

Here's how it works: Researchers attached data loggers to the backs of 169 albatrosses in the Southern and Indian oceans. The devices weighed only an ounce and a half, but they included a GPS and were able to detect the presence and intensity¹ of radar² signals emanating³ from boats. That information was then transmitted by satellite, so the researchers could track the location of the birds—and thus the radar-emitting boats—in real time.

具体做法如下：研究人员在南大洋和印度洋的169只信天翁的背部系上数据记录器。这些设备只有1.5盎司重，但配有GPS，能够探测到渔船及其发出的雷达信号强度。随后，卫星传送这些信息，研究人员就可以通过卫星实时追踪鸟儿以及发射雷达信息的渔船的位置。

The scientists then cross-checked that data against the known locations of boats, gleaned⁴ from a system boats use to declare themselves, called the Automatic Identification System. And discrepancies⁵ appeared frequently.

之后，科学家对与渔船已知位置不符的信息进行反复核对，这些信息来自渔船用来显露身份的“自动识别系统”。这种不符情况频繁出现。

More than a third of the times the birds' loggers' detected radar signals, and therefore a boat, no such boat appeared in the official log—meaning that the vehicles had likely switched off their Automatic Identification Systems—something the researchers say probably happens in illegal fishing operations.

超过三分之一的信天翁记录器探测到了雷达信号，也就是探测到了渔船，但官方记录中并没有这些船只，这意味着这些船可能关闭了自动识别系统，研究人员说这些船可能在进行非法捕鱼作业。

The results are in the Proceedings⁶ of the National Academy of Sciences.

这项研究结果发表在《美国国家科学院院刊》上。

The work suggests birds could be an effective boat-monitoring tool—as long as illegal fishing operations don't target the birds, that is. Fortunately, such a task would be difficult.

这项研究表明，鸟类可以成为有效的船只监测工具，只要非法捕鱼者不要盯上这些鸟。幸运的是，这种任务会很难完成。

"Around fishing vessels⁷, you can get hundreds of birds at any one time that are all flying around. So it's not really possible to target a specific bird. And the birds with loggers on are not marked in any way. So it's difficult for fishermen to pick out a specific bird."

“任何时候你都会在渔船周围看到数百只鸟在飞来飞去。因此确实不可能瞄准一只特定的鸟。而且携带记录器的鸟没有任何标记。因此，渔民很难发现特定的鸟。”

Study author Samantha Patrick, a marine⁸ biologist at the University of Liverpool.

研究作者、利物浦大学的海洋生物学家萨曼莎·帕特里克说到。

Patrick's bigger concern is that albatrosses often get hooked on fishing lines. And though regulations have been established to protect against that happening—with success—illegal boats don't necessarily comply. So scientists might be underestimating the risk posed to albatross populations. But this system could mean that those illegal boats may have a tougher time flying under the radar.

帕特里克更担心的是，信天翁经常被鱼线钩住。尽管已经制定了防止这种情况发生的法规，但非法渔船并不一定会遵守。因此，科学家可能低估了信天翁种群面临的风险。但这一系统可以让那些非法渔船在雷达下更难躲藏。

Thanks for listening for Scientific American's 60-second Science. I'm Christopher Intagliata.

谢谢大家收听科学美国人——60秒科学。我是克里斯托弗·因塔利亚塔。

1 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

2 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

3 emanating   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此，也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。 来自辞典例句
• Many surface waters, particularly those emanating from swampy areas, are often colored to the extent. 许多地表水，特别是由沼泽地区流出的地表水常常染上一定程度的颜色。 来自辞典例句

4 gleaned   

v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的过去式和过去分词 )；（收割后）拾穗

参考例句：

• These figures have been gleaned from a number of studies. 这些数据是通过多次研究收集得来的。
• A valuable lesson may be gleaned from it by those who have eyes to see. 明眼人可从中记取宝贵的教训。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 discrepancies   

n.差异，不符合（之处），不一致（之处）( discrepancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• wide discrepancies in prices quoted for the work 这项工作的报价出入很大
• When both versions of the story were collated,major discrepancies were found. 在将这个故事的两个版本对照后，找出了主要的不符之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

7 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。