世界上最大的海草生态系统

李畅

The worlds largest seagrass ecosystem

海草床是許多海洋生物重要的育幼地和觅食地。它可以吸收和储存大量的碳，是重要的“蓝碳”资源，对缓解气候危机具有重要作用。

1 Seagrass meadows（海草草甸） are wonder plants growing beneath the sea. They feed and shelter sea life and are masterful at storing carbon. Thanks to the assistance of tiger sharks， a huge seagrass meadow in the Bahamas Banks was recently discovered， offering the world a tool to fight climate change.

2 Seagrass has usually been detected by Earth?orbiting satellites that identify darker patches in the blue water. In this study， tiger sharks were selected as research tools due to their highly consistent associations with seagrass ecosystems. They spend 72% of their time in seagrass meadows. The team equipped eight tiger sharks with satellite tags， seven sharks with camera tags， and used a 360?degree camera on a shark for the first time ever.

3 The data researchers collected was astonishing. The worlds largest seagrass ecosystem， measuring at least 66，900 square kilometers， has been discovered. This reflects a 41% increase from the previous estimate of global seagrass. Seagrass can capture （捕获） huge quantities of carbon by photosynthesis （光合作用） and store it on the seafloor. In terms of climate change， this is excellent news. Seagrass is 35 times faster at removing carbon than tropical rainforests. When referred to global seagrass carbon stock estimates， the study indicates that seagrass in the Bahamas may contain 19.2% to 26.3% of all the carbon stored in seagrass meadows on Earth.

4 Yet seagrass meadows are rapidly disappearing， with over 92% of meadows in the UK gone， according to the World Wildlife Fund. Scientists are collecting seeds and trying to grow new seagrass meadows through restoration projects. This new discovery offers optimism and proves the importance of the ocean for healing.

5 The sharks led us to the seagrass ecosystem in the Bahamas， which we now know is likely the most significant blue carbon sink on the planet. What this discovery shows us is that ocean exploration and research are essential for a healthy future. The untapped potential of the ocean is limitless. These meadows can be protected and can be copied， offering hope for fighting climate change around the globe.

Detail 1. Why were tiger sharks chosen as research tools？

A. They are more flexible than other sea animals.

B. They can quickly adjust themselves to the deep sea.

C. They have a strong connection with seagrass ecosystems.

D. They can be easily equipped with experimental devices.

Gist 2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about？

A. The decline of global seagrass meadows.

B. The impact of climate change on sea life.

C. The rapid increase in the amount of carbon on Earth.

D. The potential value of the worlds largest seagrass ecosystem.

Detail 3. What are scientists doing to protect seagrass？

A. Planting more seagrass meadows.

B. Developing new technology to collect seeds.

C. Mapping the distribution of seagrass meadows.

D. Encouraging people to join in restoration projects.

Inference 4. What can we infer from the last paragraph？

A. Ocean exploration is of great significance.

B. The sharks led us to the seagrass ecosystem.

C. The seagrass ecosystem can change the climate around the globe.

D. The seagrass ecosystem is important for a healthy future.

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text

When referred to global seagrass carbon stock estimates， the study indicates that seagrass in the Bahamas may contain 19.2% to 26.3% of all the carbon stored in seagrass meadows on Earth.當提到全球海草碳储量估算时，该研究表明，巴哈马的海草可能含有的碳量是地球上海草草甸储存的所有碳的19.2%～26.3%。

【点石成金】本句中，When引导的是时间状语从句，that引导的是宾语从句，主句是the study indicates...on Earth。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

Earth?orbiting satellite 地球轨道卫星

huge quantities of 大量的

in terms of 在……方面；就……而言

tropical rainforest 热带雨林

refer to 涉及；参考

global seagrass carbon stock 全球海草碳储量

blue carbon sink 蓝色碳汇