​Scientists Map Largest Deep-Sea Coral Reef off US Atlantic Coast

Scientists Map Largest Deep-Sea Coral Reef off US Atlantic Coast

科学家绘制出美国大西洋沿岸最大的深海珊瑚礁地图

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　　By Bryan Lynn

　　26 January 2024

　　Scientists have mapped the largest coral reef off America's Atlantic coast.

　　Researchers say the reef stretches about 500 kilometers from Florida to South Carolina. At some points, it is 109 kilometers wide. The researchers measured the reef using 3D mapping technology.

　　"It's eye-opening – it's breathtaking in scale," Stuart Sandin told The Associated Press. He is a marine biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Sandin was not included in the research.

　　Ocean scientists have known since the 1960s that some coral life was present off the Atlantic Coast. But the reef's exact size had remained a mystery. New underwater mapping technology made it possible to construct images of the ocean floor in three dimensions.

　　The largest yet known deep coral reef "has been right under our noses, waiting to be discovered," said Derek Sowers. He is an oceanographer at the nonprofit group Ocean Exploration Trust.

　　Sowers and other scientists recently released maps of the reef in the publication Geomatics.

　　The reef was found at ocean depths from 200 to 1,000 meters. Deep-sea life cannot use sunlight to carry out photosynthesis. Instead, reef corals at extreme depths must filter food particles out of the water for energy.

　　Deep coral reefs are known to contain animals such as sharks, swordfish, sea stars, octopus, shrimp and many kinds of fish.

　　Unlike deep coral reefs, tropical reefs are better known to scientists and sea explorers alike because they are easier to reach. The world's largest tropical coral reef system, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, stretches for 2,300 kilometers.

　　Sowers said it is possible larger deep-sea reefs will be discovered in the future since only about 25 percent of the world's ocean floor has been mapped in 3D. Only 50 percent of U.S. offshore waters have been mapped. Maps of the ocean floor are created using high-technology sound equipment, called sonar, on ships.

　　Erik Cordes is a marine biologist at Temple University and a co-writer of a study on the mapping operation. He said deep reefs cover more of the ocean floor than tropical reefs. But both are currently facing similar risks, including climate change and damage from oil and gas exploration activities

　　I'm Bryan Lynn.

　　The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

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　　作者：Bryan Lynn

　　日期：2024年1月26日

　　科学家们已经绘制出美国大西洋沿岸最大的珊瑚礁地图。

　　研究人员表示，这个珊瑚礁从佛罗里达州延伸到南卡罗来纳州，大约有500公里长。在某些地方，它有109公里宽。研究人员使用3D绘图技术测量了这个珊瑚礁。

　　"这真是大开眼界——它的规模令人惊叹，" 斯图尔特·桑丁对美联社说。他是斯克里普斯海洋研究所的一名海洋生物学家。桑丁并未参与这项研究。

　　自20世纪60年代以来，海洋科学家们就知道大西洋沿岸有一些珊瑚生物存在。但是珊瑚礁的确切大小一直是个谜。新的水下绘图技术使得能够以三维形式构建海底图像。

　　“我们已知的最大的深海珊瑚礁就在我们的鼻子下面，等待被发现，” 非营利组织海洋探索信托的海洋学家德里克·索尔斯说。

　　索尔斯和其他科学家最近在《地理信息学》出版物中发布了珊瑚礁的地图。

　　珊瑚礁位于海洋深度从200米到1000米的地方。深海生物不能利用阳光进行光合作用。相反，极深处的珊瑚礁必须从水中过滤食物粒子以获取能量。

　　深海珊瑚礁被认为包含了鲨鱼、剑鱼、海星、章鱼、虾和许多种类的鱼等动物。

　　与深海珊瑚礁不同，热带珊瑚礁因为更容易到达，所以更为科学家和海洋探险家所熟知。世界上最大的热带珊瑚礁系统，澳大利亚的大堡礁，延伸了2300公里。

　　索尔斯说，由于只有大约25%的世界海底已经被3D绘制，未来可能会发现更大的深海珊瑚礁。只有50%的美国近海水域已经被绘制。海底地图是使用船上的高科技声纳设备创建的。

　　埃里克·科尔德斯是坦普尔大学的一名海洋生物学家，也是关于绘图操作研究的合著者。他说，深海珊瑚礁覆盖了比热带珊瑚礁更多的海底面积。但是两者目前都面临着类似的风险，包括气候变化和石油天然气勘探活动的破坏。

　　我是Bryan Lynn。

　　美联社报道了这个故事。Bryan Lynn为VOA学英语改编了这篇报道。

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　　这个故事中的词汇

　　coral – n.一种由小型海洋动物产生的硬质物质，通常为粉红色或白色

　　reef – n. 海洋表面下的岩石或沙石集合

　　3D (three dimensional) –adj.显示物体的高度、宽度和长度，而不仅仅是两个维度

　　scale – n. 某物的大小或级别

　　photosynthesis – n.植物利用空气中的二氧化碳、地下的水和太阳光的能量来产生自己的食物和氧气的过程

　　filter – v. 通过设备过滤物质，以去除固体碎片或其他物质