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Scientists Raise Florida Corals Threatened by Disease

Scientists have successfully bred a threatened species of coral, a coral rescue organization announced recently.

一个珊瑚救援组织最近宣布，科学家已经成功培育出一种受威胁的珊瑚物种。

The breeding was part of a project that hopes to restore damaged reefs off the coast of Florida.

这种培育实验是一个项目的一部分，该项目希望恢复佛罗里达海岸受损的珊瑚礁。

Coral reefs in Florida and the Caribbean Sea are being affected¹ by stony² coral tissue loss disease.

佛罗里达和加勒比海的珊瑚礁正受到石珊瑚组织损失病的影响。

The disease causes coral to lose its color and die after a period of time.

这种疾病会导致珊瑚褪色，一段时间后就会死亡。

The Florida Coral Rescue Center is in part funded by the Disney Conservation Fund and Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

佛罗里达珊瑚礁救援中心的部分资金来自迪士尼自然保护基金和佛罗里达州鱼类和野生动物基金会。

It has bred hundreds of new rough cactus³ coral in recent weeks.

最近几周，它培育了数百个新的粗糙的仙人掌珊瑚。

The breeding center holds a total of 18 Florida coral species that are threatened.

该培育中心共有18种受到威胁的佛罗里达珊瑚物种。

Justin Zimmerman of the Florida Coral Rescue Center said there is a possibility "that you could return some of these corals to the wild."

佛罗里达珊瑚救援中心的贾斯汀·齐默尔曼说，有一种可能性是“你可以把其中一些珊瑚放回野外”。

He added there is a possibility of saving “the species by doing that."

他还说，这样做有可能会拯救这个物种。

Stony coral tissue loss disease was first observed near Miami in 2014.

2014年，在迈阿密附近首次发现石珊瑚组织损失病。

By 2017, it had spread to Florida's northernmost reef and, later, past Key West to the south.

到2017年，它已经蔓延到佛罗里达州最北端的珊瑚礁，后来又经过基韦斯特向南扩散。

Coral infected with it die off at a rate of 66 to 100 percent.

感染了这种疾病的珊瑚的死亡率为66%到100%。

That is deadlier for coral reefs than coral bleaching--a better-known event that is usually caused by higher water temperatures.

对于珊瑚礁来说，这比珊瑚白化更致命——珊瑚白化是一种更广为人知的事件，通常是由较高的水温引起的。

Stony coral tissue loss disease represents another threat to the world's coral reefs.

石珊瑚组织损失病是全球珊瑚礁面临的另一种威胁。

They already face serious threats from climate change.

它们已经面临着气候变化的严重威胁。

The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, or GCRMN, is supported by the United Nations and gathers information on coral reefs.

全球珊瑚礁监测网络得到了联合国的支持，收集有关珊瑚礁的信息。

The group said in October that 14 percent of the world's coral was lost between 2009 and 2018.

该组织在10月份表示，2009年至2018年间，全球损失了14%的珊瑚。

Words in This Story

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

coral – adj. a hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of small creatures

restore – v. to return (something) to an earlier or original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.

reef – n. a long line of coral that lies in warm, shallow water