书城教材教辅智慧教育活动用书-星宇迷尘
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第18章 Seals Used to Explore Antarctic Marine

In order to explore the mysterious marine world under the continental ice of areas around Antarctic, people continue to try to use new underwater detective tools. Recently, relative scientists said that seals carrying detective devices may transmit① valuable information from the underworld for experts.

Germany biologists in Marine Research Institution studied the diving and feeding behavior of a kind of seal in the Antarctic region last year. After making these mammals② anesthetized③ for a short time, they fit cameras and wireless devices on their bodies, and then they released the mammals into the sea. The accurate data transformed from the equipments fitted on seals’ body described when they started diving and the diving depth and duration.

Although seals as an assistant of research can not be a substitution for underwater detectors, information gained from them is useful to traditional detectors. Seals and other marine animals can use their unique sensory organ to find the trace of fishes and the smallest living organisms, which help experts, determine which living animals are living in the seabed around Antarctic and under the 100 km of ice.

① transmitv. 传送,传达

② mammalsn. 哺乳动物[C]

③ anesthetizedv. 使麻醉,使麻痹

海豹探索南极海洋

为探索南极周围地区陆缘冰下神秘的海洋世界,人们不断尝试使用新的水下探测工具。目前,有关专家说,携带探测装置的海豹可以为专家传送水下世界的宝贵信息。

德国海洋研究所的生物学家对南极地区一种海豹的潜水和捕食进行了研究。他们先把这些哺乳动物短暂麻醉,在它们身上装上摄像机和无线传输装置,随后再把它们放归大海。海豹身上的设备所传回的数据准确说明了它们是什么时候开始潜水的,及其潜水深度和持续时间。

尽管海豹作为研究工作的助手并不能取代水下探测器的作用,但通过它们获取的信息是对传统探测器的有益补充。海豹等海洋动物用它们特有的感觉器官可以在破冰船无法穿过的大块浮冰地带或浅水区域,找到各种鱼类和最小生物有机体的踪迹,帮助专家确定究竟哪些生物生活在南极周围地区的海底和上百公里长的陆缘冰下面。