VOA新闻杂志2023--In Dubai, Sea Turtles Get a Helping Hand

In Dubai, Sea Turtles Get a Helping¹ Hand

A program of Abu Dhabi's environment agency is rescuing sea turtles and returning them to the Persian Gulf².

Members of the program have released a total of about 500 sea turtles that were rescued and rehabilitated⁴. Abu Dhabi is one of the United Arab Emirates. The environment agency launched the program three years ago to help turtles struggling to survive.

The latest release took place in early June. Members of the agency's Wildlife Rescue Program brought about 80 turtles to the water and released them. Members of the community joined in. Scientists placed satellite equipment on the turtles to better understand where they go. The information will inform scientists about the success of rehabilitation⁵ methods.

Turtles have historically been hunted for their meat and eggs. Their shells have been used in jewelry⁶. But other causes have decreased the numbers of all seven species of sea turtles.

Hind⁷ al-Ameri is a scientist at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. She said that problems like plastic pollution, ship strikes, and fishing equipment are harming sea turtles. She added that coastal⁸ development reduces the amount of space the turtles have to lay eggs.

Warming oceans can harm coral reefs, which turtles need to survive. Changing ocean currents can bring turtles closer to animals that hunt them. And rising sea levels might harm coastal areas where the turtles lay their eggs.

Abu Dhabi's environment agency is not the only group in the United Arab Emirates helping sea turtles. The non-profit group Emirates Nature-WWF began two programs more than 10 years ago. The group studies the behavior of two species of turtles in the area: the hawksbill and green turtles.

The Dubai Turtles Rehabilitation Project is another effort that has been helping sick and injured sea turtles for nearly 20 years. It has rehabilitated and returned more than 2,000 turtles to the Persian Gulf over the years.

Climate change

Scientists say they see evidence that the sea turtles are adapting to changes in the weather.

The sex of baby turtles is influenced by the temperature at which the eggs develop. Warmer temperatures produce higher numbers of female turtles. Al-Ameri said conditions in the United Arab Emirates have become so warm that male population numbers should be greatly reduced. However, she said the turtle groups are healthy and reproducing.

"It's driving us to understand why our species are adapting the way they are," she said.

She said the team's efforts are leading to an understanding of whether turtles will adapt to climate change in the future or not.

The United Nations will hold its next big meeting on climate known as COP28 in Dubai from November 30 to December 12. Leaders are expected to discuss ways to prevent Earth's temperature from rising by limiting the release of carbon gases.

Words in This Story

rehabilitate³ – v. to bring (someone or something) back to a normal, healthy condition after an illness, injury, or drug problem

species – n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

coral reef – n. a long line of coral that lies in warm, shallow water

adapt – v. to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 rehabilitate   

vt.改造(罪犯)，修复；vi.复兴，(罪犯)经受改造

参考例句：

• There was no money to rehabilitate the tower.没有资金修复那座塔。
• He used exercise programmes to rehabilitate the patients.他采用体育锻炼疗法使患者恢复健康。

4 rehabilitated   

改造（罪犯等）( rehabilitate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使恢复正常生活； 使恢复原状； 修复

参考例句：

• He has been rehabilitated in public esteem. 公众已恢复对他的敬重。
• Young persons need to be, wherever possible, rehabilitated rather than punished. 未成年人需要受到尽可能的矫正而不是惩罚。

5 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

6 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

7 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

8 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。