不断上升的海洋温度，正在杀死关岛的珊瑚礁

不断上升的海洋温度，正在杀死关岛的珊瑚礁

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

研究人员说，关岛三分之一的珊瑚礁因海洋温度上升而死亡。

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

据《太平洋日报》周一报道，关岛大学的研究人员称，2013年至2017年间，气温升高导致关岛34%的珊瑚礁死亡。

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

据科学家表示，关岛东海岸约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海洋实验室主任、海洋生物学教授劳里·雷蒙多(LaurieRaymundo)说：“在我们观察珊瑚礁的历史上，从未见过如此严重的情况。”

The study was published in the scientific journal Coral Reefs.

这项研究发表在科学杂志《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，这个问题非常紧迫，不容忽视，因为珊瑚对鱼类栖息地、海岸保护和关岛旅游业都至关重要。

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.

一个多机构关岛珊瑚礁响应小组负责监测该岛的珊瑚礁，并根据2017年的恢复计划努力恢复珊瑚群落。关岛现在处于珊瑚礁大规模死亡之前的另一次白化事件的警戒状态。

“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.

关岛统计和计划局珊瑚礁复原协调员惠特尼·胡特(Whitney Hoot)说：“一旦我们看到气温开始上升，我们就会启动我们的计划。”

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

研究人员说，可以通过改变当地的压力源来减少负面影响，比如关岛的污染、污水系统和塑料垃圾。

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温升高的主要原因。

“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.”

雷蒙多说：“正是我们向大气中注入的气体造成了更高的温度。”他还补充说，“人口众多的地方”正是碳进入环境的主要原因。“而且它不是像关岛那样的小岛，尽管如此，我们还是受到它的影响。”

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

关岛是美国在西太平洋的领土，在旧金山以西大约5800英里(9300公里)。