Rising Temperatures, Acidification Threaten Mediterranean Sea Species
VOA News
Last Updated:June 23, 2017 6:57 PM (source)
Rising Temperatures, Acidification Threaten Mediterranean Sea Species
海水溫度上升與酸化威脅地中海物種生存
Last Updated: June 23, 2017 6:57 PM
VOA News
Water temperatures in the northwestern Mediterranean are increasing much faster than global averages, threatening the survival of several species, French researchers said.
Weekly water temperature readings by researchers at the Villefranche-sur-Mer oceanography laboratory have shown that Mediterranean surface water temperatures have increased by 0.7 degree between 2007 and 2015.
The researchers, who believe their findings apply to an area that includes Spain, France and Italy, also said in a note summarizing their study that the water's acidity has increased by nearly 7 percent.
"The acidification and warming up of the water are due to carbon dioxide emissions from human activities," French CNRS researcher Jean-Pierre Gattuso told Reuters.
He added that about a quarter of mankind's carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by the oceans, making the water more acidic.
Gattuso said that plankton tend to migrate north in order to maintain an optimum temperature, but that is not possible in the Mediterranean, which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean only via the narrow Strait of Gibraltar.
"It's a dead-end here, so species could disappear," Gattuso said, noting a particular threat to the posidonia oceanica seagrass, known locally as Mediterranean tapeweed, which produces oxygen and forms an important fish habitat.
He said that at the same time, more grouper and barracuda had been seen in the Mediterranean, as it becomes more like a subtropical sea.
Gattuso said the acidification would become a problem in a few decades for marine organisms that have a skeleton or a calcium shell, such as oysters, mollusks, snails and corals.
Mediterranean mussels, popular in restaurants, could disappear in 2100, he said.
法國的研究人員指出,地中海(Mediterranean)西北部的水溫上升速度高於全球平均值(average),對數個物種(species)的生存(survival)造成了威脅。
由濱海自由城海洋學實驗室(Villefranche-sur-Mer oceanography laboratory)的研究人員每週量測的水溫讀數(reading)顯示,地中海的水面溫度(surface water temperature)在2007年至2015年期間已上升了0.7度。
研究人員認為其研究結果(findings)適用於(apply to)包括西班牙、法國和義大利等地區,同時亦總結出海水的酸度(acidity)已增加近7%的這項研究結果。
法國國家科學研究中心(French: Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS)研究員尚-皮耶‧加圖索(Jean-Pierre Gattuso)對路透社(Reuters)表示:「來自人類活動而產生的二氧化碳排放(emission)造成了海水的酸化(acidification)和溫度上升。」
他補充說道,由人類行為所產生的二氧化碳排放量中約有四分之一會被海洋吸收(absorb),使得海水變成酸性(acidic)。
加圖索說,海洋的浮游生物(plankton)為了維持最佳的(optimum)生存溫度,會傾向往北邊遷移(migrate),但這在唯有通過狹窄的直布羅陀海峽(Strait of Gibraltar)才能連接大西洋(Atlantic Ocean)的地中海是不可能發生的。
「地中海已經陷入了困境(dead-end),因此一些物種可能會從這裡消失」,加圖索表示。他並指出,能產生氧氣並形成重要的魚類棲息地(habitat),在當地被稱為地中海帶狀草的波西多尼亞海草(posidonia oceanica seagrass)特別受到威脅。
他說,地中海同時有了更多的石斑魚(grouper)和梭子魚(barracuda),原因在於當地變得更像亞熱帶的(subtropical)海域了。
加圖索說,海洋的酸化在未來幾十年間可能會對牡蠣、軟體動物(mollusk),海蝸牛和珊瑚等具有骨骼(skeleton)或鈣質殼的海洋(marine)生物(organism)造成問題。
他也表示,餐館中的熱門菜地中海貽貝(mussel)可能會在2100年消失。
Language Notes
species (n)(動植物的)種,物種
* 本字為可數名詞,須注意其單數時即有 "s",且單複數同形,即複數同單數拼法
reading (n)(測量儀器設備所顯示的)讀數
acidity [ə`sɪdətɪ] (n) 酸的含量,酸度
* acid [`æsɪd] (a) 酸的 (n) 酸,酸類物質;acidic [əˋsɪdɪk] (a) 酸的;產生酸的;酸性的
emission [ɪ`mɪʃən] (n) 排放物
* emit [ɪ`mɪt] (v) 發出,射出,散發(光、雜訊、氣味或氣體)
plankton [`plæŋktən] (n) 浮游生物的
optimum [`ɑptəməm] (a) 最理想的;最優的
* 本字也可作名詞,意指「最適宜條件;最佳效果」
dead-end (n) 死胡同;盡頭;困境
* 本字亦有無連字號的拼法,即 "dead end"
habitat [`hæbəˏtæt] (n)(動植物的)生長地,棲息地地
grouper [`grupɚ] (n) 石斑魚
barracuda [ˏbærə`kudə] (n) 梭魚,梭子魚
mollusk [`mɑləsk] (n) 軟體動物
* 本字亦有字尾是 "c" 的拼法,即 "mollusc",但此多為英式拼法
mussel [`mʌsḷ] (n) 貽貝,淡菜
* 注意本字發音和 "muscle"「肌肉」的發音相同,但兩者拼法不同
Check your vocabulary!
Negotiators have reached a dead end in their attempts to find a peaceful solution.
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With so many areas of woodland being cut down, a lot of wildlife is losing its natural habitat.
This low pH level clearly shows the acidity of the soil here.
Over a hundred species of insect are found in this area.
編譯:簡嘉呈
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