Thousandsofpuffins(海鹦)liveinMaineandonislandsintheGulfofMaine.Butthepuffinsmaybeindanger.Lastsummer,thepercentageoflaideggsthatsuccessfullyproducedbabypuffinstookadive.ScientistsalsofoundadeclineintheaveragebodyweightoftheadultandbabypuffinsonMachiasSealIsland,hometothearea’slargestcolony.Overthewinter,dozensoftheseabirdsfromtheregionwerefounddead,likelyfromstarvation.
What’scausingthepuffintrouble?Scientiststhinkitmaybeashortageoffood.Withoceantemperaturesrising,fishpopulationshavemovedaround.Normally,puffins’primaryfoodsourceisherring,atypeoffish.Alackofherringintheareacouldbecausingtheproblem.
ButterfishfromthesouthhavebecomemoreabundantintheGulfofMaineandcouldbeanewfoodsourceforbirds.ButSteveKresssaysbutterfishmaybetoobigandroundforbabypuffinstoswallow.
Puffinsspendmostoftheirlivesatsea.TheycomeashoretobreedeachspringandreturntotheoceaninAugust.Thechicksswimtoseaabout40daysafterhatching.PuffinpopulationsstretchacrosstheNorthAtlantic,fromMainetonorthernRussia.
Maine’spuffinpopulationhasbeenatriskinthepast.Inthe1800s,theywerehuntedfortheirfood,eggsandfeathers.By1901,onlyonepairofpuffinsremainedinthestate.Thankstothehelpoflocallighthousekeepersandseabirdrestorationprograms,thestate’spuffinpopulationhasbeenrestoredtomorethan2,000birds.
Scientistsaren’tsurewhatwillhappentotheGulfofMaine’spuffins.Thebirdsmaymovefurthernorth.KresssayshehopestheGulfpopulationwillsustainitselfandthenhecontinued.“Youneverknowwhatclimatechangewillbring,”Kresssaid.“Historicallyfishcouldmoveoutandmoresoutherlyfishcouldmovein,andpuffinsmayadapttothenewfish.Onlytheywillknowhowthestorywillunfold.”
小题1:Theunderlinedphrase“tookadive”means_______. |
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