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Scientists researching climate change in Antarctica are studying penguins in an effort to better understand the area's environmental health. 研究南极洲气候变化的科学家们正在研究企鹅，以更好地了解该地区的环境健康。 The scientists are measuring the growth and development of the penguin population on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. 科学家们正在测量南极半岛东侧的企鹅种群的生长与发育。 Reuters news agency recently reported on studies in the area carried out by two American researchers. 路透社最近报道了两名美国研究人员在该领域进行的研究。 'We are counting penguin nests to understand how many penguins are in a colony, producing (young) every year, “我们正在计算企鹅巢穴的数量，以了解一个聚集地中每年有多少企鹅繁殖企鹅幼崽， and whether that number is going up or down with the environmental conditions,' said Alex Borowicz. 以及这个数字是否会随着环境条件的变化而上升或下降，”亚历克斯·博罗维茨说。 He is an ecology researcher at New York's Stony Brook University. 他是纽约石溪大学的生态学研究员。 The work is not easy for climate researchers in the icy, faraway reaches of Antarctica. 对于身处冰冷、遥远的南极洲的气候研究员来说，这项工作并不容易。 But penguins are easier to follow than some other kinds of animals because they nest on land. 但企鹅比其他动物更容易追踪到，因为它们在陆地上筑巢。 Their black bodies and waste droppings can also be identified against the area's white background. 它们黑色的身子和粪便也可以在该地区的白色背景下被辨认出来。 Michael Wethington, another researcher from Stony Brook, told Reuters 来自石溪大学的另一位研究员迈克尔·威斯顿告诉路透社， the penguin population can represent overall climate conditions and the health of the area's whole ecosystem. 企鹅的数量可以体现整体气候条件以及该地区整个生态系统的健康状况。 The researchers say counts of individual penguins can be combined with data from satellite images 研究人员说，可以把对企鹅个体的计数与来自卫星图像的数据相结合， to get a more complete picture of how the animals are progressing. 以更全面地了解这些动物的进展情况。 Gentoo penguins – with bright orange beaks and white markings on their heads – prefer open water without broken pieces of ice floating around. 巴布亚企鹅有着亮橙色的喙，头顶有白色条纹，它们更喜欢没有碎冰漂浮在周围的开阔水域。 So when temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula began rising during the latter half of the 20th century, gentoo populations moved south. 因此，当南极半岛的气温在20世纪下半叶开始上升时，巴布亚企鹅开始南迁。 Some scientists called the movement the 'gentoofication' of Antarctica. 一些科学家称这一迁徙为巴布亚企鹅在南极洲的“扩张”。 David Ainley is a biologist with the ecological advisory company H.T. Harvey & Associates. 戴维·爱恩利是生态咨询公司H.T. Harvey & Associates的生物学家。 He has been studying penguins for more than 50 years. 他研究企鹅已经超过50年了。 'Gentoo penguins don't like sea ice,' Ainley told Reuters. “巴布亚企鹅不喜欢海冰，”爱恩利告诉路透社。 'They mostly forage over the continental shelf and don't go far out to sea.' “它们大多在大陆架上觅食，不会到远海。” As sea ice has decreased along the western side of the peninsula, gentoos seem to have gotten used to the changed conditions. 随着南极半岛西侧的海冰减少，巴布亚企鹅似乎已经适应了变化的环境。 But those same conditions have been worse for the Adelies penguin species. 但同样的环境对阿德利企鹅来说是情况变得更糟糕。 This is because the Adelies depend on sea ice for feeding and reproduction. 这是因为阿德利企鹅依靠海冰觅食和繁殖。 'When we find Adelie penguins, we typically know that sea ice is nearby,' Stony Brook's Wethington said. “当我们发现阿德利企鹅时，我们通常就知道附近有海冰，”石溪大学的威斯顿说。 He added that whenever researchers see sea ice decreasing or disappearing, they also see Adelie penguin populations drop sharply. 他补充说，每当研究人员看到海冰减少或消失时，他们也会看到阿德利企鹅的数量急剧下降。 Even though Adelie penguins are increasing in number overall, some populations have fallen by more than 65 percent, researchers say. 研究人员说，尽管阿德利企鹅的数量总体上有所增加，但在其中一些种群中，阿德利企鹅的数量下降了65%以上。 On their January trip to the area, the Stony Brook scientists found that 在今年1月前往该地区的途中，石溪大学的科学家们发现， Adelie colonies around the still-icy Weddell Sea had remained solid during the past ten years. 在过去的十年里，冰冷依旧的威德尔海周围的阿德利企鹅聚集地一直很稳定。 'This peninsula is maybe a safe space as we see climate change progressing and overall warming throughout the globe,' Wethington said. “在全球气候发生变化以及全球整体变暖的时候，南极半岛可能是一个安全的空间，”威斯顿说。 I'm Bryan Lynn. 布莱恩·林恩为您播报。 |
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