In the South Pacific a spectacular reef system takes an environmental walloping and lives to tell the tale. Scientists are listening closely.

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Fiji's reefs can take a punch and come back swinging. Expert at being both whomped and resilient, these reefs are prime ground for scientists struggling to understand the catastrophic decline of Earth's coral habitats. Though cyclones, disease, predators, and volcanic eruptions all harm reefs, corals tend to regenerate after such natural blows. But the carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere humanity is brewing, and the resulting rise in sea temperatures, may cripple coral's ability to recover.



When water heats up, corals expel the symbiotic algae that provide nutrients and color, leaving the corals "bleached." Some scientists theorize that bleaching evolved to help corals adjust to shifting temperature by swapping existing algae for others more heat-hardy. But as global temperatures rise, corals are reaching their upper limits of heat tolerance. In Fiji corals can survive in waters up to about 86°F (30°C). Beyond that, it's like asking corals to shift into a gear they just don't have.



Fiji's reefs took a major hot-water hammering in 2000 and 2002, leading to widespread bleaching. As a marine biologist long interested in coral reefs, I joined a recent expedition to Fiji to see how its reefs were faring after the heat waves.

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大家一起翻译画线句子，奖励20分!(选择回复只有楼主可见)灌水不学习者罚!这次是长句子，大家耐心读，琢磨琢磨再回，我给好帖奖励点经验和魅力！



参考翻译（本人水平有限，仅做参考而已




最后由 蓝色雨恋 于 2006-11-03 09:58 编辑


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