過度捕撈的暗礁海域
A study published in the journal “Nature” warns that the number of sharks are falling at an alarming rate and that these marine creatures are “functionally extinct” in nearly 20% of the world’s coral reefs.
一份發表於《自然》期刊的研究顯示，全球暗礁海域的鯊魚數量驚人銳減，近20％的地點呈現鯊魚「功能性滅絕」。
Nature《自然》期刊fall at a…rate以…的速度減少=decrease at a…ratealarming(adj.)令人憂心的marine(adj.)海洋的
The survey took four years and six researchers coordinating with more than 120 scientists around the world to complete.
這份調查歷時4年、集結6位研究學者及全球超過120名科學家共同完成。
survey(n.)(v.)調查researcher(n.)研究學者coordinate with與…協調
“It’s the most comprehensive study that has ever been done to look at shark abundance,” according to Ellen Pikitch, a marine biologist at Stony Brook University.
美國石溪大學的海洋生物學家畢考馳表示：「這是截至目前為止最全面探究鯊魚豐富性的研究」。
comprehensive(adj.)全面的abundance(n.)豐富、豐足abundant(adj.)豐富的、豐足的biologist(n.)生物學家Stony Brook University美國石溪大學
Researchers placed video cameras along with shark bait at numerous spots on each reef, hoping to capture shark movement. Finally, they collected footage from 371 tropical reefs.
學者在同一個暗礁上放置許多錄影機，以捕捉鯊魚的動態，一共從371處暗礁海域收集到影片。
along with與…一起bait(n.)誘餌hoping…=and hoped連續型分詞構句footage(n.)影片片段(不可數)
After reviewing 18,000 hours of video, the team found that no sharks were caught on video in 19% of the reefs surveyed.
研究團隊在觀看了總共1萬8千小時的影片後，發現調查中有19％的珊瑚礁沒有鯊魚的蹤跡。
after reviewing…=after the team reviewed…
“There may have been a few sharks that didn’t take the bait, but the overall low numbers suggest sharks no longer perform an ecological role in these reefs,” said Aaron MacNeil, one of the researchers and a reef ecologist at Dalhousie University.
加拿大戴爾豪斯大學的珊瑚礁生態學家麥考尼爾說：「或許有少部分鯊魚沒有把餌咬走，但鯊魚的總數數量很低，代表牠們在暗礁海域不再扮演原本在生態系中該扮演的角色。」
overall(adv.)總體地=generallysuggest(v.)意味、暗示ecological(adj.)生態的ecologist(n.)生態學家ecology(n.)生態學
Sharks, like other large animals, are especially vulnerable to overfishing considering their slow growth and limited numbers of offspring.
鯊魚成長速度緩慢且每胎數量較少，和其他大型動物一樣特別容易成為過度捕撈的受害者。
be vulnerable to sth.易受某事物影響=be subject to sth.=be prone to sth.overfishing(n.)(漁業)過度捕撈considering(prep.)考量到、就…而言offspring(n.)後代、子嗣
The study suggested that overfishing has led the ocean’s top predators to be functionally extinct in countries such as India and Vietnam.
這份研究顯示過度捕撈讓鯊魚在一些如越南及印度的國家「功能性絕跡」。
predator(n.)掠食者
However, the study also found that conservation measures such as regulating fishing and replacing certain types of fishing nets have proven effective in protecting sharks.
然而，報告也指出包含限制捕撈、更換特定種類漁具等保育措施能有效保護鯊魚。
conservation(n.)保育、保存、節約conserve(v.)保存、節約regulate(v.)約束、調節prove(v.)證明是、結果是The efforts proved to be in vain.effective(adj.)有效果的
As Nick Dulvy, a conservation biologist at Simon Fraser University said, “We really need to substantively move toward conservation and recovery in the next decade, or else we’re going to be in real trouble.”
加拿大西門菲莎大學的保育生物學家杜爾威指出，「我們在接下來的十年內確實需要大幅朝向保育及復育邁進，否則我們的麻煩就大了」。
substantively(adv.)大幅地、顯著地recovery(n.)復育or else否則、不然