VOA科学技术2024--Study: Hottest Oceans in 400 Years Endanger Great Barrier Reef

New research shows that water temperatures in and around Australia's Great Barrier Reef have risen to their warmest in 400 years over the past 10 years. The rising temperatures have put the world's largest reef under threat.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest living ecosystem¹. It stretches for 2,400 kilometers off the coast of the northern state of Queensland.

A group of scientists at universities across Australia removed core samples from the coral. They examined the samples to measure summer ocean temperatures going back to the year 1618. The scientists combined information from core samples with ship and satellite data going back around 100 years.

The results show that ocean temperatures were unchanged for hundreds of years. But starting in 1900, the ocean temperatures began to rise. The research found that this is the result of human influence.

From 1960 to 2024, the study's writers observed an average yearly warming for January to March of 0.12 degrees Celsius² per decade.

Since 2016, the reef has experienced five summers of mass coral bleaching³. This is when large parts of the reef turn white due to heat stress. This also puts the coral at greater risk of death. The mass bleaching events happened during five of the six warmest years in the last four centuries, the study showed.

This research appeared on August 8 in the publication Nature.

"The world is losing one of its icons," said Benjamin Henley. He is with the University of Melbourne and is one of the study's co-writers.

"I find that to be an absolute tragedy. It's hard to understand how that can happen on our watch in our lifetime. So it's very sad," Henley added.

The last temperature measurement, from January to March of this year, was the highest on record. Henley added that it was "head and shoulders" above any other year, meaning it was much higher.

Coral reefs are important for many reasons. They protect shorelines from erosion. They are home to thousands of kinds of fish. And they are an important part of the tourism industry in many countries. In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef adds $4.2 billion to the economy each year.

At least 54 countries and areas have experienced mass bleaching of their reefs since February 2023, as climate change warms the ocean's surface waters. That information comes from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric⁵ Administration.

Words in This Story

ecosystem - n. a system made up of an ecological⁶ community of living things interacting with their environment especially under natural conditions

data - n. factual information (such as measurements or statistics) used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation

decade - n. a period of 10 years

heat stress - n. sustained, warmer-than-average ocean temperatures

icon⁴ - n. a person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere

absolute - adj. free from doubt : having no exceptions

erosion - n. the process of wearing away by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice

tourism - n. the practice and business of traveling for recreation

1 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。

2 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

3 bleaching   

漂白法，漂白

参考例句：

• Moderately weathered rock showed more intense bleaching and fissuring in the feldspars. 中等风化岩石则是指长石有更为强烈的变白现象和裂纹现象。
• Bleaching effects are very strong and show on air photos. 退色效应非常强烈，并且反映在航空象片上。

4 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

5 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。

6 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.