VOA慢速英语2021--牡蛎壳有助于重建海岸线

Oyster¹ Shells Help to Rebuild Shorelines

When we eat some popular kinds of shellfish, namely clams², mussels and oysters³, we leave behind large amounts of shells.

Instead of throwing these shells into the trash, several projects around the United States now aim to put these shells back into waterways. The goal is to restore, or bring back, the natural environment -- a process called ecological⁴ restoration.

In his article for The Associated Press, writer Wayne Parry describes this restoration as "the seafood⁵ circle of life."

In the U.S. and around the world, shells discarded at restaurants and other businesses are being collected, cleaned and thrown back into waterways. The shells form a base for new colonies of sea creatures and help to protect coastlines.

One of the latest projects with oysters takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey⁶. Some businesses there save the shells. The state's Department of Environmental Protection, or DEP, collects them. Then, workers and volunteers with Rutgers and Stockton universities cooperate with the Jetty Rock Foundation to load them onto boats and put them into the state's Mullica River.

Those shells go back into the water to help form new or expanded oyster colonies. Free-floating baby oysters, known as spat⁷, connect to the shells and grow on them.

The Mullica River is home to one of the last self-sustaining oyster populations on the Atlantic coast, said Shawn LaTourette. He is New Jersey's leading environmental official.

Scott Stueber is a fish biologist with the Department of Environmental Protection. He told the AP the ecological restoration project has already kept about 60,000 kilograms of shells out of landfills. It has also helped eateries save money on discarding their shells.

The Mullica River project began in 2019. It aims to grow oysters for ecological purposes. However, it is also being studied as a possible commercial harvesting site in the future, the DEP said.

How does this help?

While these projects do create new places to harvest and sell oysters for food, the main goal is to help improve the environment.

In nature, oysters are cleaners. One adult oyster can remove pollutants⁸ from about 190 liters of water a day. So, experts say they can improve water quality.

Oyster colonies also are being planted along some coastlines to strengthen shores. This protects against ocean storms and rising waters. Underwater, oyster colonies can weaken destructive waves headed for the shoreline.

The Global Center on Adaptation explains on its website how oyster reefs can protect shorelines. Such reefs can also create homes for other sea life and provide food for humans. On its website, the organization describes ecological restorative efforts in Bangladesh.

Communities, environmental groups and governments around the world have used oyster recycling and replanting in recent years. In the U.S., it is happening in other states.

Each year in Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation turns 70 cubic meters of recycled shells a year into oyster colonies.

Since 2009, the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University has collected about 800,000 kilograms of shells and restored about 100,000 square meters of oyster reef.

Since 2015, New York's Billion Oyster Project has collected about 726,000 kilograms of shells from 75 restaurants. The organization has planted 13 oyster reefs across New York Harbor.

There are similar projects in the U.S. states of Florida and Massachusetts, as well as in the Netherlands and Australia.

Words in This Story

ecological restoration – n. the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem⁹ that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.

discard – v. to get rid of especially as useless or unwanted

self-sustaining – adj. maintaining or able to maintain oneself or itself by independent effort

landfill – n. an area where waste is buried under the ground

commercial – adj. related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services

reef – n. a chain of rocks or coral or a ridge¹⁰ of sand at or near the surface of water

recycle – v. to pass again through a series of changes or treatments: such as

1 oyster   

n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人

参考例句：

• I enjoy eating oyster; it's really delicious.我喜欢吃牡蛎，它味道真美。
• I find I fairly like eating when he finally persuades me to taste the oyster.当他最后说服我尝尝牡蛎时，我发现我相当喜欢吃。

2 clams   

n.蛤；蚌，蛤( clam的名词复数 )v.（在沙滩上）挖蛤( clam的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The restaurant's specialities are fried clams. 这个餐厅的特色菜是炸蚌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We dug clams in the flats et low tide. 退潮时我们在浅滩挖蛤蜊。 来自辞典例句

3 oysters   

牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
• She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

4 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

5 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。

6 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

7 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

8 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 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。

10 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。