CNN News:拯救海洋生物

Algae makes up the base of food for pretty much all life in the water: plants, animals, fish, everything. When a red tide happens, the algae let off a toxin that can be poisonous to that same marine life. John Zarrella examines how that sudden shift in habitat is taking a toll on one species around Florida.

海藻是海底生物食物链的开端，包括植物，动物，鱼类，几乎所有物种。当赤潮发生时，海藻便会释放出有毒物质使得海里生物中毒丧生。John Zarrella正在研究佛罗里达州附近由于物种变化而造成的一系列影响。

For wildlife biologist Denise Boyd, this was one of the best days in a long time.

对野生物专家Denise Boyd来说，这是很久以来为数不多的好日子。

Those two noses are behind us, right at that corner.

在我们身后跟着两个探测器，就在右边的角上。

Boyd was out with Florida wildlife officers on the Orange River near Fort Myers, looking for sick or dead manatees and endangered species. None so far, a hopeful sign after a brutal start to the year.

Boyd 是与佛罗里达州野生物办公室工作人员在迈尔斯堡附近的奥兰治河进行研究。主要寻找一些病或者死亡的海牛和一些濒危物种。目前为止，今年还没有出现一个令人振奋的消息。

The number of mortalities has exceeded anything I`ve seen in the past.

这里生物的死亡数量已经远远超过了过去我所知道的数量。

The lethal toxin from an algae bloom called red tide had settled in the worst possible place: the sea grass beds off south west Florida where manatees feed during the winter, killing more than 180 since January. A lack of winter rains, scientists say, may have caused a more widespread bloom this year.

海藻发出及致命毒素现象称为赤潮，已经在最不可能发生的地方发生了。在佛罗里达南部的海底草场作为海牛冬天的栖息地，到一月份为止已经致使180多只海牛死亡。科学家指出，由于今年冬季缺少降雨，赤潮很可能已经扩展到了更加大的面积。

We started getting five or six in day and now, there was - there was a few days when you`d have ten calls for manatees.

我们现在一天做五次或者六次测量，有些天里要做十次。

They eat the toxic grass, breathe the toxic air at the surface, and by the time they move up into the river, their warm water winter retreat, paralysis sets in and they drown.

他们食用有毒的海草，呼吸表面有毒的空气，到了一定时间他们将迁徙到河里，冬天温暖的河水消失之后，寒冷致使海牛身体麻木，追中溺死水中。

Wildlife officers say it`s a good sign when they`re approaching a manatee, and it`s moving to get out of the way. Because when they are sick, with the toxin in them, they usually just sit there.

野生办指出，工作人员能接近海牛是一个很好的迹象，这样就可以使更多的海牛获得救助，更好解决这一现状。因为中毒生病的海牛通常都是静静坐在那里。

But even when the creatures are in distress from the toxin, it`s not too late, if they are found, they can be saved.

即使生物中毒了也没关系，只要他们被发现了就能得到救助。

We get them to fresh water, they`ll get rid of the toxin, and once it`s out of their system, then they`re feeling like a new manatee.

我们将他们带到薪水中去，他们的中毒现象就会缓解。一旦脱离了现在的生物系统中，他们将会成长为一个全新的海牛。

Virginia Edmonds is the animal care manager at Tampa`s Lowery Park Zoo. The lucky ones, the dozen or so that have been rescued are brought here. To keep them from drowning, their heads are held out of the water, until the toxin clears their system.

维吉尼亚的Edmonds是Tampa`s Lowery公园动物园的动物健康管理部经理。幸运得救的都会被带到这里。为了防止他们溺水，他们的头部都会被搁在水面往上，直到稀释掉自身中毒系统。

when they come in, they are - they are comatose in a way, and can`t move their heads or the bodies and that`s why we have to support their heads and help them get a breath.

当这些动物被送来的时候都是出于昏迷状态的，他们不能自己移动自己的头部或者身体，所以我们要帮助他们支撑头部获得空气。

It`s estimated there are no more than 5,000 manatees left in Florida. For biologists, the most frustrating part of this episode has been not finding them in time to save more of them. The outbreak, biologists think, may finally be nearing its end. But the toll has never been worth.

有数据显示，现在佛罗里达州所拥有的海牛数量不超过5,000头。对生物学家来说，最痛苦莫及的是没有能及时发现和救助更多的中毒海牛。生物学家认为病情可能终于要接近尾声了，但是现在的数量却是史上最糟糕的。