新奇事件簿 全球变暖缩减鱼类体积（在线收听）

The size of fish in the oceans is shrinking. A new report from the University of British Columbia in Canada states fish may shrink by as much as a quarter in the coming decades because of global warming. The research team conducted extensive tests on the effect of rising ocean temperatures on the size and number of over 600 species of fish around the world. They concluded that most fish are likely to shrink in size by 14-24 per cent by the year 2050. The biggest changes will be seen in tropical regions. The scientists said there is less oxygen in warmer water so fish cannot grow at the rate they should. They added that many fish will migrate to cooler waters outside the tropics.

鱼类体积正在逐渐变小。加拿大英属哥伦比亚大学的最新报告称，未来几十年内，鱼类体积会因全球变暖而缩减四分之一。就水温升高对鱼类体积和数量的影响，研究小组对全球600多种鱼类进行了研究。他们推断称到2050年，多数鱼类体积或将缩减14-24%。热带鱼的变化最为显著。科学家认为由于水温升高，氧气减少，导致鱼类无法按照正常速度生长。他们补充道鱼类将远离热带水域，游往冷水域。

Lead researcher Professor William Cheung said: "We were surprised to see such a large decrease in fish size. Marine fish are generally known to respond to climate change through changing distribution and seasonality. But the unexpectedly big effect that climate change could have on body size suggests that we may be missing a big piece of the puzzle of understanding climate change effects in the ocean." He added that human activities such as overfishing and pollution will worsen the problem. "Our work shows a very concerning future for the oceans and so it is very important to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop better fish management policies to adapt to these changes, he said.

研究主任威廉·张教授称：“鱼类体积的大幅度缩减让我们非常吃惊。我们通常会认为海鱼会通过改变栖息地，或是改变水温的方式来应对气候变化。但气候变化却对鱼类体积产生了这么大的影响，这就意味着我们或无从得知气候变化影响海洋的方式。他还称如过度捕捞，污染等人类活动会让事情进一步恶化。他称：“这项研究让我们对未来海洋业忧心忡忡，减少温室气体排放，制定能够适应诸多变化的鱼类管理政策，这至关重要。