奇速英语

科学家预测超过90%珊瑚礁将在2050年死去

Half of the world’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years. The threat to coral reefs “isn’t something that’s going to happen 100 years from now. We’re losing them right now,” said Julia Baum, who is a marine biologist at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada. “We’re losing them really quickly, much more quickly than I think any of us ever could have imagined.” Even if global warming were to stop right now, scientists predict that over 90% of corals will die by 2050.

Actually, the planet’s health depends on the survival of coral reefs. They’re often described as underwater rainforests, because they’re ecosystems that provide habitats for one in four of all marine species. The reefs also serve as barriers that protect coastlines from the full force of powerful storms. Corals are used in medical research to find out how to treat diseases like cancer, etc. In addition, the reefs attract tourists, the fishing industry and other businesses, bringing in billions of dollars of income.

Corals are animals that have no backbone, and live mostly in tropical waters. A rise of just 1 to 2 degrees Celsius (1.8 to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) can have effects on corals. They can survive in these higher temperatures only for a few months. Unfortunately, the problem isn’t just global warming. The reefs have also been affected by pollution, coastal development and overfishing.

Now scientists are racing to ensure the rest survive. They remain hopeful that it’s not too late to save the reefs, and some are moving ahead on experiments to accomplish that goal. Ruth Gates, director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, for example, is trying to “train” corals to get used to rising temperatures by exposing them to survivable levels of heat stress. She hopes that the corals will somehow fix the experience in their memory so that they can endure similar stress in the future.