The northernmost part of Earth is warming two to three times faster than the rest of the planet. The melting (融化的) ice has cleared space through the historically dangerous Northwest Passage. This means the melting sea ice is opening new routes for shipping.
Donna Hauser is a marine biologist with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Hauser says she was interested in studying the possible threat (威胁) to Arctic marine mammals from shipping.
Hauser says her hope was to protect both these animals and the people who depend on them. “All of these species (物种) are really important for local communities throughout the Arctic as well as in Alaska.”
Hauser and other researchers looked at seven Arctic species. They limited their study to the month of September. This is when sea ice is at its lowest point and most ships pass through Arctic waters. The study found that narwhals and other whales were most at risk to ship traffic during the late summer. Polar bears were the least at risk, with walruses and seals in between.
The noise of ice-breaking boats and other ships is extremely unsettling to marine mammals, notes Kristin Laidre of the Polar Ice Center. “That underwater noise is a disturbance for marine mammals, especially different whale species that rely on sound to do everything.”
This is the first study to compare effects of increased ship traffic on major Arctic marine mammal species, and identify which animals might be most in need of protection. “We’re no longer in an Arctic state that was experienced by British Captain Sir John Franklin in 1845 or some of those early Western explorers,” noted Hauser.
In order to help protect marine animals, the researchers suggest requiring ships to move at slower speeds to reduce the chance of striking. They also suggest a limit on the amount of noise ships can make.
Kristin Laidre says that it is unrealistic to try and stop people from using Arctic passageways. However, by understanding which animals are at risk, researchers can help plan for the future.
【小题1】What’s happened to the Northwest Passage?| A．It’s lost its attractiveness. |
| B．It’s become safer for ships. |
| C．It’s been blocked by thick ice. |
| D．It’s been destroyed by ship traffic. |
| A．Seals. | B．Polar bears. | C．Whales. | D．Walruses. |
| A．To tell the bad effects of increased ship traffic on Arctic marine species. |
| B．To require ships not to move through the Northwest Passage. |
| C．To say the significance of the voyage of Sir John Franklin. |
| D．To call on people to take steps to protect animals. |
| A．Climate Change in the Arctic |
| B．Arctic Animals Need Better Protection |
| C．Studies on Sea Animals in the Arctic |
| D．Animals Are at Risk From Increased Arctic Shipping |
