不斷上升的海洋溫度，正在殺死關(guān)島的珊瑚礁

不斷上升的海洋溫度，正在殺死關(guān)島的珊瑚礁

A third of Guam’s coral reefs have died because of rising ocean temperatures, researchers said.

研究人員說，關(guān)島三分之一的珊瑚礁因海洋溫度上升而死亡。

University of Guam researchers said increased temperatures killed 34% of Guam’s coral reefs between 2013 and 2017, The Pacific Daily News reported Monday.

據(jù)《太平洋日報》周一報道，關(guān)島大學(xué)的研究人員稱，2013年至2017年間，氣溫升高導(dǎo)致關(guān)島34%的珊瑚礁死亡。

About 60% of the reefs along Guam’s eastern coast are gone, scientists said.

據(jù)科學(xué)家表示，關(guān)島東海岸約60%的珊瑚礁消失了。

“Never in our history of looking at reefs have we seen something this severe,” said Laurie Raymundo, UOG marine lab director and marine biology professor.

UOG海洋實驗室主任、海洋生物學(xué)教授勞里·雷蒙多(LaurieRaymundo)說：“在我們觀察珊瑚礁的歷史上，從未見過如此嚴(yán)重的情況。”

The study was published in the scientific journal Coral Reefs.

這項研究發(fā)表在科學(xué)雜志《珊瑚礁》上。

The problem is too urgent to ignore because corals are vital to fish habitats, provide coastal protection and contribute to Guam’s tourism industry, Raymundo said.

雷蒙多表示，這個問題非常緊迫，不容忽視，因為珊瑚對魚類棲息地、海岸保護(hù)和關(guān)島旅游業(yè)都至關(guān)重要。

A multi-agency Guam Coral Reef Response team monitors the island’s reefs and tries to revive coral communities in line with a 2017 recovery plan. Guam is now in watch status for another mass bleaching event, which precedes large-scale reef death.

一個多機構(gòu)關(guān)島珊瑚礁響應(yīng)小組負(fù)責(zé)監(jiān)測該島的珊瑚礁，并根據(jù)2017年的恢復(fù)計劃努力恢復(fù)珊瑚群落。關(guān)島現(xiàn)在處于珊瑚礁大規(guī)模死亡之前的另一次白化事件的警戒狀態(tài)。

“Once we see temperatures starting to rise, this is when we activate our plan,” said Whitney Hoot, Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans coral reef resilience coordinator.

關(guān)島統(tǒng)計和計劃局珊瑚礁復(fù)原協(xié)調(diào)員惠特尼·胡特(Whitney Hoot)說：“一旦我們看到氣溫開始上升，我們就會啟動我們的計劃。”

Negative effects could be reduced by making changes in local stressors such as Guam’s pollution, sewage system and plastic waste, researchers said.

研究人員說，可以通過改變當(dāng)?shù)氐膲毫υ磥頊p少負(fù)面影響，比如關(guān)島的污染、污水系統(tǒng)和塑料垃圾。

But elevated global carbon dioxide output is to blame for heightened water temperatures.

但是全球二氧化碳排放量的增加是水溫升高的主要原因。

“It’s what we’re pumping into the atmosphere that is creating warmer temperatures,” Raymundo said, adding that places with “enormous populations” are contributing the majority of carbon entering the environment. “And it’s not small islands like Guam, nonetheless, we are affected by it.”

雷蒙多說：“正是我們向大氣中注入的氣體造成了更高的溫度。”他還補充說，“人口眾多的地方”正是碳進(jìn)入環(huán)境的主要原因。“而且它不是像關(guān)島那樣的小島，盡管如此，我們還是受到它的影響。”

Guam is a territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean, about 5,800 miles (9,300 kilometers) west of San Francisco.

關(guān)島是美國在西太平洋的領(lǐng)土，在舊金山以西大約5800英里(9300公里)。