国家地理:Sea Otters in Danger 拯救海獭（在线收听） |
| For several years something mysterious has been plaguing sea otter populations off the coast of California. The animal may have seizures, it may shake, it may act like it's weak, uh, it may not seem like it's very aware of its surroundings, and it may seem to have problems, uh, bringing food to its mouth as those kinds of things that tips off it. Something isn't quite right with this animal. These symptoms and other research data point in part to an unlikely culprit, a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. The first big surprise for us was how common the infection really was. Uh, what we found was that about 4 out of every 10 live otters that we tested actually had antibodies to the parasite. Good boy. And even more surprising was a link to human population centers where the parasite is transported by fresh water runoff. A university of California study confirmed that otters sampled near major streams and rivers were almost 3 times more likely to test positive for the parasite than those living away from fresh water. Other factors could also be responsible, everything from other parasites and diseases to pollution and pesticides. The bottom line right now is it remains an open question. Sea otters eat about 25 percent of their body weight in shellfish and other invertebrates everyday. Since people eat some of the same seafoods, this poses the question of how humans might be affected, sending a warning to a fishing industry that the state heavily depends on. Hey, Morgan, hey, Rick, hi buddy. It's also important to remember that this is not just about saving sea otters, that's important, but it's about saving marine ecosystems because the organisms that we are seeing have significant implications for human health that has concordance for the people of California, the people of the world that want to enjoy and utilize the Pacific coast. And that is what is raising the stakes. What you think, ah? Making the effort to save the sea otters, a California state priority. seizure: A sudden attack, spasm, or convulsion, as in epilepsy or another disorder. 发作突然的 tip off: An indication of an otherwise unknown fact or probability 表明；暗示 toxoplasmosis: [医]弓形体病, 弓浆虫病 bottom line: The main or essential point 要点或关键之处 concordance: Agreement; concord. 协议；和谐 |
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