VOA慢速英语20061114a

AGRICULTURE REPORT - Study Warns of Risk to Seafood¹ Supplies in World's OceansBy Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Tuesday, November 14, 2006

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

A study has warned that seafood supplies from the world's oceans could be almost gone by the middle of the century.


fishing port

The researchers say there has already been a collapse² in wild populations of almost one-third of currently³ fished seafoods⁴. The study says that means their catch has fallen by ninety percent from their highest levels.

Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, led the international team that did the study. Professor Worm says species⁵ have recently been disappearing from oceans at increasing speed. At this rate, he says, all seafood species could collapse by two thousand forty-eight.

Other studies have also warned about the dangers of overfishing and the effects on ocean environments. But not everyone thinks the oceans are likely to be empty in fifty years. Some scientists said parts of the world do have problems, but others are doing a good job of protecting fish populations. Government officials in several countries with large fishing industries also questioned the research.

The study appeared earlier this month in Science magazine.

The researchers say damage to oceans affects not only fish populations but also the productivity⁶ of ecosystems⁷. These complex systems help control water quality. The scientists say the loss of different kinds of sea life appeared to increase the risk of fish kills and beach closures from harmful algae⁸ growth.

The scientists examined the results of thirty-two experiments and observed forty-eight protected areas. They also looked at records of catches worldwide. They studied records from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization for nineteen fifty to two thousand three.

And they examined archeological information and other historical records for twelve coastal⁹ areas. That research reached back over a thousand years.

Boris Worm says the findings were, in his words, beyond anything we suspected. But he also said the situation is not too late to correct. He said that with good fisheries management, some species could completely recover in three to ten years.

And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. You can learn more about agriculture, and download transcripts¹⁰ and MP3 files of our reports, at voaspecialenglish. I'm Steve Ember.

1 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

2 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

3 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

4 seafoods   

n.海产食品，海鲜( seafood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

5 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

6 productivity   

n.生产力，生产率，多产

参考例句：

• Farmers are introducing in novations which increase the productivity.农民们正引进提高生产力的新方法。
• The workers try to put up productivity.工人设法提高生产率。

7 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

8 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

9 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

10 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句