浮游生物比科学家认为的重要的多

Plankton¹ More Important than Scientists Thought 浮游生物比科学家认为的重要的多

For years, most people thought of small organisms called plankton as food for whales and other large sea animals. But a four-year long study discovered that plankton are a major supplier of oxygen on our planet.

Plankton are a group of different ocean creatures, algae², bacteria and other organisms. They live close to the water’s surface in oceans, seas and lakes. Plankton cannot be seen without a microscope. But they are the main source of food for larger animals, like whales.

Recently, 200 scientists from 45 countries took turns researching plankton on a two-mast schooner³. The boat set sail in September 2009. It visited 210 areas. The scientists collected 35,000 samples of plankton. The researchers followed the lives of plankton, examined their genetic⁴ material and watched their movements.

A French non-profit group called Tara Expeditions launched the project, known as Tara Oceans. Chris Bowler⁵ was the project’s scientific coordinator⁶. He says the researchers found that plankton are very important to the health of our planet.

“Generating the oxygen we breathe, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generally maintaining this Earth in a state that is habitable for us human beings.”

Mr. Bowler says almost half of the oxygen we breathe comes from very small algae called diatoms. These plants live in the part of the water where the sun reaches.

“That basically means every fifth time that you breathe, you’re breathing oxygen -- which we can directly trace back to diatoms, so they’re sort of as important as a tropical rain forest in terms of their global contribution.”

Romain Troublé is the executive director of Tara Oceans. He believes the study shows that the ocean greatly affects the earth’s climate.

“We believe that the ocean is also a main driver of the climate change, a main, main mitigator⁷ in the way that the ocean and the life in the ocean is storing carbon dioxide, storing heat. And this machinery⁸ works because the ocean is in good health.”

Different groups of researchers studied different things. One group identified more than 40 million plankton genes⁹ formerly¹⁰ unknown to scientists.

The collected information will be used to identify which of the plankton have little or no trouble reacting to changing water conditions.

Results of the study appeared in the online scientific journal Science. The publication says many experts will be examining the study.

Words in This Story

plankton – n. the very small creatures in an ocean, sea or lake

algae – n. simple plants that grow in or near water

sample – n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from

generate – v. to produce (something) or cause (something) to be produced

maintain – v. to keep (something) in good condition by making repairs or correcting problems

habitable – adj. able to live in

trace back – idiom to learn about the development or progress of something by reasoning backward from an effect to a cause

in terms of – idiom regarding something; concerning something

contribution – n. something that is done to cause something to happen

driver – n. idiom cause

mitigate¹¹ – v. to make (something) less severe, harmful or painful

1 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。

2 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

3 schooner   

n.纵帆船

参考例句：

• The schooner was driven ashore.那条帆船被冲上了岸。
• The current was bearing coracle and schooner southward at an equal rate.急流正以同样的速度将小筏子和帆船一起冲向南方。

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 bowler   

n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手

参考例句：

• The bowler judged it well,timing the ball to perfection.投球手判断准确，对球速的掌握恰到好处。
• The captain decided to take Snow off and try a slower bowler.队长决定把斯诺撤下，换一个动作慢一点的投球手试一试。

6 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

7 mitigator   

n.缓和者

参考例句：

8 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

9 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

10 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

11 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。