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This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute.

If you’ve ever popped open a jar of the pickled fish, you know that herring like to stick together. Actually, it’s something they do naturally, even before they’re crammed¹ into a container. In the ocean, millions of herring often band together in shoals that can stretch for miles. Now scientists say that herring shoals can form in seconds, as long as you have the right number of fish.

The scientists used a souped-up kind of acoustic² sensing that allowed them to image an area 100 kilometers in diameter about once a minute. Because sound waves get bounced off the bodies of the fishes, the researchers could count how many herring were around, and see exactly when they coalesced³ into a shoal.

They found that herring start to shoal around sunset, gathering⁴ together when the fading light makes it safer for them to rise from the seabed. Then, once the fish reach the critical density⁵, they rapidly come together into one big happy mass o’ fish, results published in the March 27th issue of the journal Science.

Shoaling allows the fish to engage in bouts⁶ of synchronized⁷ spawning⁸, and helps to protect them from predators⁹. Because there’s safety in numbers. Especially when you’re all packed together like sardines¹⁰.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin.

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收听单词发音

1 crammed
adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)
参考例句：
He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。 All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

2 acoustic
adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的
参考例句：
The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。 Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

3 coalesced
v.联合，合并( coalesce的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The puddles had coalesced into a small stream. 地面上水洼子里的水汇流成了一条小溪。 The views of party leaders coalesced to form a coherent policy. 党的领导人的各种观点已统一为一致的政策。来自辞典例句

4 gathering
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。 He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 density
n.密集，密度，浓度
参考例句：
The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。 The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

6 bouts
n.拳击（或摔跤）比赛( bout的名词复数 )；一段（工作）；（尤指坏事的）一通；（疾病的）发作
参考例句：
For much of his life he suffered from recurrent bouts of depression. 他的大半辈子反复发作抑郁症。来自《简明英汉词典》 It was one of fistiana's most famous championship bouts. 这是拳击界最有名的冠军赛之一。来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 synchronized
同步的
参考例句：
Do not use the synchronized keyword in Managed Objects. 不要在管理对象上使用synchronized关键字。来自互联网 The timing of the gun was precisely synchronized with the turning of the plane's propeller. 风门的调速与飞机螺旋桨的转动精确同步。来自辞典例句

8 spawning
产卵
参考例句：
Encounter sites have a small chance of spawning a "Commander" NPC. 遭遇战地区有很小的几率遇到NPC指挥官。 Instantly revives your Champion at your Spawning Pool, 9 minute cooldown. 立即在出生地复活你的英雄，冷却时间9分钟。

9 predators
n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）
参考例句：
birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物 The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。来自《简明英汉词典》

10 sardines
n. 沙丁鱼
参考例句：
The young of some kinds of herring are canned as sardines. 有些种类的鲱鱼幼鱼可制成罐头。 Sardines can be eaten fresh but are often preserved in tins. 沙丁鱼可以吃新鲜的，但常常是装听的。