不斷上升的海洋溫度，正在殺死關島的珊瑚礁

不斷上升的海洋溫度，正在殺死關島的珊瑚礁

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，關島大學的研究人員稱，2013年至2017年間，氣溫升高導致關島34%的珊瑚礁死亡。

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

據(jù)科學家表示，關島東海岸約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，從未見過如此嚴重的情況。”

The study was published in the scientific journal Coral Reefs.

這項研究發(fā)表在科學雜志《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、海岸保護和關島旅游業(yè)都至關重要。

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.

一個多機構關島珊瑚礁響應小組負責監(jiān)測該島的珊瑚礁，并根據(jù)2017年的恢復計劃努力恢復珊瑚群落。關島現(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.

關島統(tǒng)計和計劃局珊瑚礁復原協(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?shù)氐膲毫υ磥頊p少負面影響，比如關島的污染、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”正是碳進入環(huán)境的主要原因。“而且它不是像關島那樣的小島，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.

關島是美國在西太平洋的領土，在舊金山以西大約5800英里(9300公里)。