VOA慢速英语2019 科学家称海洋变暖可能致使海洋生物大量减少（在线收听）

Scientists Say Ocean Warming May Greatly Reduce Sea Life

The world’s oceans will likely lose about one-sixth of their fish and other creatures within 100 years if climate change continues on its current path.

如果气候照目前的速度变暖，100年内，世界海洋可能会有大约六分之一的鱼类和其他生物死亡。 

These are the findings of a wide-reaching, computer-based study by an international team of marine biologists.

这是一个由海洋生物学家组成的国际小组，基于计算机而进行的一项广泛研究的结果。 

Every degree Celsius that the world’s oceans warm, their biomass — or the total weight of all the marine animal life — is expected to drop five percent, the study also found.

研究还发现，全球海洋温度每升高一摄氏度，其生物量——或者说所有海洋动物的总重量——预计就会下降5%。

The study predicts that if there is no change in the rate of worldwide greenhouse gas production, there will be a 17-percent loss of biomass by the year 2100.

该研究预测，如果全球温室气体产生速度不变，到2100年，海洋生物量将减少17%。 

But, if the world reduces carbon pollution, biomass losses could be limited to only about 5 percent.

但如果世界减少碳污染，生物量的损失可能仅限于5%左右。 

William Cheung is a marine ecologist at the University of British Columbia in Canada.He co-wrote the study, and told the Associated Press, “There are already changes that have been observed.”

威廉·张是加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚大学的海洋生态学家。他参与撰写了这项研究，并告诉美联社：“已经观察到了一些变化。”

Warming temperatures are the biggest issue, Cheung said.But climate change also produces oceans that are more acidic and have less oxygen.This also harms sea life.

他表示，气温升高是最大的问题。但气候变化也会导致海洋酸化程度更高，含氧量更少。这也会伤害海洋生物。

Much of the world depends on the oceans for food or work, the scientists say.

科学家们称，海洋为世界上大部分地区提供了食物和工作。 

University of Victoria biology professor Julia Baum was not part of the study, but she said the findings make sense.She noted that the possible effects of the predicted losses of animal life are huge.

维多利亚大学的生物学教授茱莉亚·鲍姆没有参与这项研究，但是她说，这些发现是有意义的。她指出，预测动物死亡可能造成的影响是巨大的。

“Climate change has the potential to cause serious new conflicts over ocean resource use and … food security … as [the] human population continues to grow,” said Baum.

鲍姆说：“随着人口继续增长，气候变化有可能在海洋资源利用和粮食安全方面引发严重的新冲突。”

Marine biologist Boris Worm, who helped run the study, added that the “building blocks of marine life – plankton and bacteria – may decline less heavily.”

参与这项研究的海洋生物学家鲍里斯·沃姆补充说，“海洋生物的组成部分——浮游生物和细菌——可能死亡较少。”

That is the good news, he said.The bad news?

他说，这是好消息。坏消息呢？ 

“Those marine animals that we use directly, and care about most deeply, are predicted to suffer the most,” said Worm.He works at Canada’s Dalehousie University.

沃姆在加拿大达勒豪斯大学工作。他说：“那些我们直接使用、最关心的海洋动物，预计受到的影响最大。”

Scientists had already believed climate change would likely reduce future ocean life.But past computer-based studies looked at only part of the picture or used only one model.The latest study used six different computer models to give the best picture look yet, William Cheung said.

威廉·张说，科学家们早已相信气候变化可能会减少未来的海洋生物。但是过去基于计算机的研究只看了部分图片或者只使用了一个模型。最新的研究使用了6种不同的电脑模型，以获得迄今为止最好的图像效果。

University of Georgia marine biologist Samantha Joye was not part of the research.But she praised the study as well researched and extremely detailed, and called it “an urgent call for action.”

佐治亚大学的海洋生物学家萨曼莎·乔伊没有参与这项研究。但她称赞这项研究做的很好很详细，并称之为“紧急行动呼吁”。

“Healthy oceans are required for planetary stability,” Joye said.

乔伊说：“健康的海洋对于地球的稳定是极其重要的。” 

Words in This Story

marine – adj. of or relating to the sea or the plants and animals that live in the sea

greenhouse gas – n. gases such as carbon dioxide that trap warmth from the sun in Earth’s atmosphere and cause global warming

pollution – n. substances that make the land, water and air dirty and not safe or suitable for use

ecologist – n. a scientist who studies the relationships between groups of living things and their environments

acidic – adj. containing a chemical substance that neutralizes alkalis and dissolves some metals

potential – n. a chance or possibility that something will happen or exist in the future

model – n. a set of ideas and numbers that describe the past, present or future state of something

stability – n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change