VOA常速英语2008年-Scientists Say Wondrous New Species Found Off A

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
20 February 2008
 

Scientists say they have taken an array of new marine¹ species from the seabed off eastern Antarctica.  They are warning, though, that climate change could soon make extinct many of the strange creatures they have just discovered.   From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

Two kilometers beneath the ocean east of Antarctica, in water barely above the freezing point, scientists from Australia, Japan and France have found creatures they have never seen before.

They include giant worms, big-eyed fish and sea spiders "the size of dinner plates."
 
Researchers have been trawling the waters off Antarctica as part of a census² of marine life before the area is degraded by climate change.
So far 75 different species of fish have been collected and, of these, scientists say three or four are new to science.

Martin Riddle³ of the Australian Antarctic Division, who is heading the research voyage, was there when the discoveries were made.

"We had some of the world's experts on Antarctic fish and they were completely, completely flabbergasted as to some of the fish that came on board - unable to name them," Riddle said. "They had fins⁴ in various places, they had funny, dangly⁵ bits around their mouths.  Many of them had very large eyes, although what they are going to use them for there, where there is no light, I couldn't tell you.  But they are very strange looking fish."

The scientists say they have also discovered new species of plankton⁶, and jellyfish with tentacles⁷ at up to six meters long.

The seven-week expedition used three ships to search for life in a 50,000-square-kilometer area in the Southern Ocean.

Hundreds of different specimens⁸ will be taken to a museum in Paris to be identified. Having discovered this amazing array, scientists are worried how much longer they will be there in light of the earth's changing climate.

The world's oceans are natural "carbon sinks," and are absorbing the excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  The more carbon dioxide there is in the water, scientists say, the harder it becomes for marine organisms to grow skeletons, especially in colder waters.

The absorption of carbon dioxide can also result in sea  water becoming more acidic, making it more difficult for marine life to survive.

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

3 riddle   

n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜

参考例句：

• The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
• Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。

4 fins   

[医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌

参考例句：

• The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关，与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
• Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句

5 dangly   

悬摆的，摆晃的

参考例句：

6 plankton   

n.浮游生物

参考例句：

• Plankton is at the bottom of the marine food chain.浮游生物处于海洋食物链的最底层。
• The plankton in the sea feeds many kinds of animals. 海的浮游生物成为很多种动物的食物。

7 tentacles   

n.触手( tentacle的名词复数 )；触角；触须；触毛

参考例句：

• Tentacles of fear closed around her body. 恐惧的阴影笼罩着她。
• Many molluscs have tentacles. 很多软体动物有触角。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》