400年来最热的海洋威胁大堡礁

New research shows that water temperatures in and around Australia's Great Barrier Reef have risen to their warmest in 400 years over the past 10 years.
新的研究显示，过去10年间，澳大利亚大堡礁及其周边的水温上升到了400年来的最高温度。

The rising temperatures have put the world's largest reef under threat.
升高的温度使世界上最大的珊瑚礁面临威胁。

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest living ecosystem.
大堡礁是世界上最大的活体生态系统。

It stretches for 2,400 kilometers off the coast of the northern state of Queensland.
它延伸了2400公里，位于昆士兰州北部海岸。

A group of scientists at universities across Australia removed core samples from the coral.
一群来自澳大利亚各地大学的科学家从珊瑚中取出核心样本。

They examined the samples to measure summer ocean temperatures going back to the year 1618.
他们检查了这些样本，以测量可以追溯到1618年的夏季海洋温度。

The scientists combined information from core samples with ship and satellite data going back around 100 years.
科学家们将核心样本的信息与大约100年来的船舶和卫星数据结合在一起。

The results show that ocean temperatures were unchanged for hundreds of years.
结果显示，海洋温度在数百年间没有变化。

But starting in 1900, the ocean temperatures began to rise.
但从1900年开始，海洋温度开始上升。

The research found that this is the result of human influence.
研究发现，这是人类活动的结果。

From 1960 to 2024, the study's writers observed an average yearly warming for January to March of 0.12 degrees Celsius per decade.
从1960年到2024年，研究作者观察到每十年一月至三月平均每年升温0.12摄氏度。

Since 2016, the reef has experienced five summers of mass coral bleaching.
自2016年以来，珊瑚礁经历了五个夏季的大规模珊瑚白化。

This is when large parts of the reef turn white due to heat stress.
这时，珊瑚礁的大片区域由于热应力而变白。

This also puts the coral at greater risk of death.
这也使珊瑚面临更大的死亡风险。

The mass bleaching events happened during five of the six warmest years in the last four centuries, the study showed.
研究显示，这些大规模白化事件发生在过去四个世纪中最热的六年中的五年。

This research appeared on August 8 in the publication Nature.
这项研究于8月8日发表在《自然》期刊上。

"The world is losing one of its icons," said Benjamin Henley.
“世界正在失去其标志性之一，”本杰明·亨利说。

He is with the University of Melbourne and is one of the study's co-writers.
他来自墨尔本大学，是这项研究的合著者之一。

"I find that to be an absolute tragedy.
“我认为这是一个绝对的悲剧。

It's hard to understand how that can happen on our watch in our lifetime.
很难理解这种事情怎么会在我们的眼前、在我们的一生中发生。

So it's very sad,” Henley added.
所以这非常令人悲伤，”亨利补充道。

The last temperature measurement, from January to March of this year, was the highest on record.
今年1月至3月的最后一次温度测量是有记录以来的最高温度。

Henley added that it was "head and shoulders" above any other year, meaning it was much higher.
亨利补充说，这一温度远高于其他任何年份，意味着它高得多。

Coral reefs are important for many reasons.
珊瑚礁在许多方面都很重要。

They protect shorelines from erosion.
它们保护海岸线免受侵蚀。

They are home to thousands of kinds of fish.
它们是数千种鱼类的家园。

And they are an important part of the tourism industry in many countries.
它们也是许多国家旅游业的重要组成部分。

In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef adds $4.2 billion to the economy each year.
在澳大利亚，大堡礁每年为经济贡献42亿美元。

At least 54 countries and areas have experienced mass bleaching of their reefs since February 2023, as climate change warms the ocean's surface waters.
自2023年2月以来，由于气候变化导致海洋表面水温升高，至少54个国家和地区经历了珊瑚礁的大规模白化。

That information comes from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
这些信息来自美国国家海洋和大气管理局。