VOA慢速英语--研究称热浪会迫使海洋生物逃离

A new study shows that heatwaves can cause fish and other creatures in the world's oceans to travel thousands of kilometers in search of cooler waters.

Scientists at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric¹ Administration, or NOAA, reported on the study last week. Their research is based on a new way of measuring heatwaves. It is called "thermal² displacement³."

A research paper describing the process appeared in the publication Nature.

NOAA notes that earlier research has centered on how hot weather can increase ocean surface temperatures over time. Heatwaves can cause changes to the ocean environment, killing⁴ large numbers of seabirds and affecting corals and other sea life.

Thermal displacement measures how far fish, whales and other mobile species⁵ must travel to find cooler ocean surface temperatures. The measurement depends on the rate at which temperature changes across the ocean.

Research scientist Michael Jacox calls thermal displacement a powerful new way of looking at ocean heatwaves. "When the environment changes, many species move," he said in a statement. "This research helps us understand and measure the degree of change they may be responding to."

Jacox is with the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in California.

Heatwaves can add to the difficulties the world's oceans are already facing from long-term warming linked to climate change.

The scientists examined information related to ocean heatwaves from 1982 to 2019. They looked at the displacement of different species during these events.

In some places, cooler water would not be far from warmer seas, such as where different parts of the ocean meet, the study found. But in tropical areas - where temperature changes are usually small - some sea creatures would need to travel more than 2,000 kilometers to find cooler water.

Jacox says fast-moving displacement of sea life can affect many kinds of sea creatures and have human costs, as well.

"Some of the most mobile species - many fish, whales, and turtles - hold great value for humans," he said. Fisheries and tourism could be harmed, and threatened species could also face displacement, he added.

Michael Alexander of NOAA's Physical Sciences Laboratory helped lead the research team. He said the study "may give us an idea how the ecosystem⁶ may change in the future." This could, for example, help predict how far fishermen would have to travel to reach the fish they want to harvest, he said.

I'm Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

thermal – adj. relating to heat

coral – n. a hard, usually pink or white substance produced by a type of a very small sea animal

mobile – adj. able to move or be easily moved

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

tropical – adj. from or in the hottest parts of the world

tourism – n. the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure

ecosystem – n. a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment

1 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

2 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

3 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

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 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。