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Record Amount of Algae Threatens Economy, Wildlife on Caribbean Coasts

时间:2022-08-29 08:54:08

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Record Amount of Algae1 Threatens Economy, Wildlife on Caribbean Coasts

Near-record amounts of algae, or water plants, are covering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados. The plants are killing2 fish and other wildlife, producing bad smells and gases, and hurting tourism.

The University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab said nearly 22 million metric tons of brown algae called sargassum appeared in the Atlantic Ocean in June. That was 20 percent more than the record set in 2018. And unusually large amounts of sargassum have floated into the Caribbean Sea.

The plants recently surrounded Pinel Island near the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin. The normally clear blue waters turned dark brown forcing officials to stop boat service and cancel fun activities on the water.

Oswen Corbel is the owner of Caribbean Paddling. He said he had to close his St. Martin business on July 22 and does not expect to reopen until late October. He estimated he has lost at least $10,000. "Maybe I should give up. ... Sometimes I think I should go into the mountains and herd3 sheep, but this is what I know to do," he said.

The effects of overgrowth

The United Nations' Caribbean Environment Program said some reasons for the overgrowth include a rise in water temperatures, chemical fertilizer and wastewater that feed the brown plants.

Lisa Krimsky is with Florida Sea Grant, a program working to protect the coast. She said as algae break down, they change water temperatures and the acidity4 of the water. In turn, that hurts other living things such as seagrass and corals.

The algae have hurt humans, too. The government of the French island of Guadeloupe issued a health alert in late July. It warned some communities about high levels of hydrogen sulfide gas escaping from the rotting algae. The gas, which smells like rotten eggs, can affect people with breathing problems.

Last month, the U.S. Virgin5 Islands warned of unusually high amounts of sargassum getting into the machinery6 at a desalination7 plant near St. Croix. The plant is struggling to produce fresh water from seawater leading the U.S. government to declare an emergency due to water shortage.

Benefits of sargassum

Small amounts of sargassum help clean water and take in carbon dioxide. It is an important part of the natural environment for fish, turtles, shrimp8, crabs9 and other creatures. It is also used in fertilizer, food, biofuel, building materials and medicinal products.

But it is bad for tourism and the environment when too much builds up near the coast or on beaches.

On Union Island, which is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the algae invasion has recently forced some tourist areas to close for up to five months.

Large masses of sargassum also have hurt the Caribbean's fishing industry. They damage boat engines and fishing equipment and prevent fishermen from reaching their vessels10 and fishing grounds. Fewer fish are caught. Barbados, where the beaches are covered with reddish-brown algae, has been hit especially hard.

Too much sargassum was thought to cause the recent deaths of thousands of fish in the French Caribbean island of Martinique. Activists11 are now worried about how it affects endangered turtles. Some are dying at sea while struggling to move through the algae. Some are unable to lay their eggs over the algae-covered sand.

Some island nations use heavy machinery to remove algae from the beach. But scientists warn that it causes erosion and may also destroy the nests of endangered turtles.

Words in This Story

algae – n. a plant with no stem or leaves that grows in or near water

tourism – n. the business of providing services for tourists, including organizing their travel, hotels, and entertainment

herd – v. to move people or animals in a group

fertilizer – n. a natural or chemical substance that you put on land in order to make plants grow well

rot – v. decay or break down due to natural processes

desalination - n. the process of removing salt from sea water

erosion – n. the fact of soil, stone, etc. being gradually damaged and removed by the waves, rain, or wind


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1 algae tK6yW     
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。
2 killing kpBziQ     
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。
3 herd Pd8zb     
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见,只是人云亦云。
4 acidity rJyya     
n.酸度,酸性
参考例句:
  • This plant prefers alkaline soil,though it will readily tolerate some acidity.这种植物在酸性土壤中也能生存,但硷性土壤更加适宜。
  • Gastric acidity would not prevent the organism from passing into the gut.胃的酸度不能防止细菌进入肠道。
5 virgin phPwj     
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的
参考例句:
  • Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗?
  • There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。
6 machinery CAdxb     
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构
参考例句:
  • Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗?
  • Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。
7 desalination xwNxL     
n.脱盐(作用)
参考例句:
  • Crops can be grown on this land after desalination. 这片土地经过脱盐就可以种植庄稼了。
  • One source is by desalination-taking the salt out of salt water to make it drinkable. 淡水的来源之一是使水淡化--把含盐的水中的盐份去掉,使之能够饮用。
8 shrimp krFyz     
n.虾,小虾;矮小的人
参考例句:
  • When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来,将会截断这条河流。
  • When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜,我最喜欢虾。
9 crabs a26cc3db05581d7cfc36d59943c77523     
n.蟹( crab的名词复数 );阴虱寄生病;蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • As we walked along the seashore we saw lots of tiny crabs. 我们在海岸上散步时看到很多小蟹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The fish and crabs scavenge for decaying tissue. 鱼和蟹搜寻腐烂的组织为食。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 vessels fc9307c2593b522954eadb3ee6c57480     
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人
参考例句:
  • The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
11 activists 90fd83cc3f53a40df93866d9c91bcca4     
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
  • Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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