Ocean’s Most Wanted
伴隨著人們的經(jīng)濟活動和國際交往,一些物種由原生存地借助于人為作用或其他途徑移居到另一個新的生存環(huán)境并在新的棲息地繁殖并建立穩(wěn)定種群,這些物種被稱為外來物種。我國是世界上海洋生物多樣性最豐富的國家之一,被國際保護組織譽為“生物多樣性大國”和“生物多樣性全球熱點地區(qū)”。但隨著我國海洋運輸事業(yè)的發(fā)展、國際貿(mào)易的日趨頻繁、海水養(yǎng)殖品種的傳播和移殖,我國海洋外來物種數(shù)量越來越多,對我國的海洋生物多樣性和海洋生態(tài)系統(tǒng)安全帶來了嚴重影響。以養(yǎng)殖生物為例,鮑、牡蠣、扇貝、對蝦、魚類、藻類等大量從國外引入親體,甚至新物種,在養(yǎng)殖過程中由于各種方式導(dǎo)致養(yǎng)殖對象進入自然海域,不僅與當(dāng)?shù)赝林餇帄Z生存空間、餌料,爭奪生態(tài)位,并且傳播疾病、與土著生物雜交導(dǎo)致遺傳污染,降低土著生物的生存能力,導(dǎo)致土著生物自然群體降低,甚至瀕于滅絕。
They might seem innocent and lovely in your (1)aquarium, but released into the wild, your plants and fish can knock aquatic ecosystems right out of balance.
Today’s invasive species: the (2)water hyacinth.
Native to the Amazon basin, but considered an ornamental aquarium plant, the water hyacinth was introduced to Florida in 1884. By the mid-1950s, water hyacinths were clogging Florida’s water ways and interfering with navigation, not to mention displacing the native species. Clean up took millions of dollars, and they’re still spreading on every continent except Antarctica.
Guess how many of the species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s list of the one-hundred worst (3)invasive species are the result of aquarium and ornamental releases?
How many?
A full third! You see, when it comes to aquarium animals and plants, we’re dealing with mature adults, and particularly hardy ones at that, since the weaker ones don’t survive transport. So whenever they’re released into the environment, either intentionally or accidentally, they’re better able to establish themselves.
Despite all this, until recently researchers have largely ignored the role of pet fish and aquarium plants when studying the spread of exotic and invasive species. Finally, it’s time for some guidelines(指導(dǎo)方針), especially ones that encourage the trade of less invasive and aggressive species, or the substitution of native and/or safer species that people could grow instead.
譯文:
在你的水族箱里它們或許看起來很天真,很可愛。但是一旦被放生到野外,你的植物和魚就會打破水生生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的平衡。
今天的入侵物種是:水葫蘆。
水葫蘆原產(chǎn)于亞馬遜河流域,但作為一種觀賞性水生植物,在1884年被引入佛羅里達州。到20世紀中期,水葫蘆就造成了佛羅里達州水路的堵塞,干擾航運,更何況還取代了本地物種。盡管清理花費了數(shù)百萬美元,但是它們?nèi)匀辉诔蠘O洲以外的各大洲蔓延。
你猜猜在國際自然保護聯(lián)盟的最嚴重的100個入侵物種名單里,有多少是因為水族箱和觀賞性放生造成的?
有多少呢?
整整三分之一!你知道的在選取水族館動植物品種時,我們一般選用已長大成熟的動植物,尤其是易養(yǎng)活的那類,因為其他那些相對脆弱的動植物在運輸?shù)穆吠旧蠠o法存活下來。因此不論他們何時被放生到外界,故意的或是無意的,它們都能夠很好的適應(yīng)生存。
盡管如此,直到最近研究者們在研究外來入侵物種時都很大地忽略了寵物魚和水生植物所扮演的角色。最后,是時候該制定一些指導(dǎo)方針了,特別是針對減少入侵和侵略物種交易的規(guī)定,或者取而代之種植一些本地的和更安全的物種。
Notes:
(1)aquarium [?'kwε?ri?m] n.水族館;養(yǎng)魚池;玻璃缸
Visit an aquarium shop and watch how fish swim.
參觀一間水族店,觀察魚類如何游泳。
(2)water hyacinth 水葫蘆;鳳眼蘭;鳳眼藍
(3)invasive [in'veisiv] adj.侵略性的;攻擊性的
Now, what type of invasive lobular carcinoma is it?
那么,是什么亞型的浸潤性小葉癌呢?