Pacific’s Gray Whale Found off Atlantic Coast

Pacific’s Gray Whale Found off Atlantic Coast

　　Scientists have confirmed the presence of a gray whale off New England in North America recently.

　　The large sea animal disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean two centuries ago. The scientists are thrilled with the discovery but they say it shows the effects of climate change on sea life.

　　Researchers with the New England Aquarium¹ in Boston found the gray whale on March 1. At the time, they were flying about 48 kilometers south of Nantucket, an island off the coast of Massachusetts in the Atlantic. The whale, which can weigh over 27,000 kilograms, usually lives in the northern Pacific Ocean.

　　The gray whale disappeared from the Atlantic Ocean by the 18th century. But there have been five observations of the animal in the Atlantic and Mediterranean² waters in the last 15 years, the aquarium said in a statement. The whale found this month was likely the same animal observed off the coast of Florida late last year, the aquarium said.

　　The researchers who found the animal off Massachusetts said they were not sure at first. But after circling the area for 45 minutes, they were able to take photographs that confirmed it was a gray whale.

　　"I didn't want to say out loud what it was, because it seemed crazy," said Orla O'Brien. She is a research scientist with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium.

　　Scientists said they were thrilled to see the animal, but its presence probably has to do with the warming of the planet. The Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic³ Ocean in Canada, has lacked ice in the summertime in recent years, they said.

　　That means gray whales can travel through the passage in the summer when normally they would have been blocked, the scientists said. O'Brien said the animal's arrival off New England serves "as a reminder⁴ of how quickly marine⁵ species⁶ respond to climate change, given the chance."

　　Gray whales were almost completely killed off by hunting during the years of commercial whaling. Today, the whales have recovered to the point that they are considered a species of "least concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The organization, however, considers the western population of whales that live off the coast of Asia to be endangered.

　　They can be identified by the lack of a part of a body often seen on other whales: a dorsal⁷ fin⁸. Also, they can be identified by their blotchy⁹ appearance which is different from the humpback and minke whales seen off New England. Gray whales can also be identified by the unusual sounds they make.

　　Words in This Story

　　thrill – n. a feeling of great excitement or happiness

　　crazy – adj. very strange or unusual

　　marine – adj. of or relating to the sea or the plants and animals that live in the sea

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

　　commercial – adj. concerned with earning money

　　blotchy – n. a usually dark-colored spot especially on the skin

1 aquarium   

n.水族馆，养鱼池，玻璃缸

参考例句：

• The first time I saw seals was in an aquarium.我第一次看见海豹是在水族馆里。
• I'm going to the aquarium with my parents this Sunday.这个星期天，我要和父母一起到水族馆去。

2 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

3 Arctic   

adj.北极的；n.北极

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。

4 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

5 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

7 dorsal   

adj.背部的，背脊的

参考例句：

• His dorsal fin was down and his huge pectorals were spread wide.它的脊鳍朝下耷拉着，巨大的胸鳍大张着。
• The shark's dorsal fin was cut off by the fisherman.鲨鱼的背鳍被渔夫割了下来。

8 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

9 blotchy   

adj.有斑点的，有污渍的；斑污

参考例句：

• her blotchy and swollen face 她的布满斑点的浮肿的脸
• Blotchy skin is a symptom of many skin diseases. 皮肤上出现污斑是许多皮肤病的症状。 来自互联网