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Near-record amounts of algae, or water plants, are covering Caribbean coasts from Puerto Rico to Barbados.
从波多黎各到巴巴多斯，加勒比海沿岸的海藻（即水生植物）数量接近历史最高水平。
The plants are killing fish and other wildlife, producing bad smells and gases, and hurting tourism.
这些植物正在杀死鱼类等野生动物，产生难闻的气味和气体，并损害旅游业。
The University of South Florida's Optical Oceanography Lab said nearly 22 million metric tons of brown algae called sargassum appeared in the Atlantic Ocean in June.
南佛罗里达大学的光学海洋学实验室表示，今年6月，大西洋出现了近2200万吨名为马尾藻的褐藻。
That was 20 percent more than the record set in 2018.
这比2018年创下的纪录高出20%。
And unusually large amounts of sargassum have floated into the Caribbean Sea.
大量马尾藻已经漂到加勒比海。
The plants recently surrounded Pinel Island near the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin.
这些植物最近包围了法属加勒比海领土圣马丁附近的皮内尔岛。
The normally clear blue waters turned dark brown forcing officials to stop boat service and cancel fun activities on the water.
通常清澈的蓝色海水变成了深褐色，迫使官员们停止了乘船服务，取消了水上的娱乐活动。
Oswen Corbel is the owner of Caribbean Paddling.
奥斯文·科贝尔是加勒比划船俱乐部的老板。
He said he had to close his St. Martin business on July 22 and does not expect to reopen until late October.
他说，他不得不在7月22日关闭他在圣马丁的公司，预计要到10月底才能重新开业。
He estimated he has lost at least $10,000.
他估计自己至少损失了1万美元。
"Maybe I should give up. ... Sometimes I think I should go into the mountains and herd sheep, but this is what I know to do," he said.
他说：“也许我应该放弃……有时我想我应该到山里去放羊，但我知道这是我要做的事情”。
The United Nations' Caribbean Environment Program said some reasons for the overgrowth include a rise in water temperatures, chemical fertilizer and wastewater that feed the brown plants.
联合国驻加勒比地区的环境规划署表示，导致这种褐色植物过度生长的一些原因包括水温上升和为其提供养分的化肥和废水。
Lisa Krimsky is with Florida Sea Grant, a program working to protect the coast.
丽莎·克里姆斯基是“佛罗里达海洋资助计划”的成员，该计划致力于保护海岸。
She said as algae break down, they change water temperatures and the acidity of the water.
她说，随着海藻的分解，它们会改变水温和水的酸度。
In turn, that hurts other living things such as seagrass and corals.
反过来，这又会伤害其他生物，如海草和珊瑚。
The algae have hurt humans, too.
海藻也对人类造成了伤害。
The government of the French island of Guadeloupe issued a health alert in late July.
7月下旬，法国瓜德罗普岛政府发布了健康警报。
It warned some communities about high levels of hydrogen sulfide gas escaping from the rotting algae.
它警告一些社区注意从腐烂的海藻中释放出的高浓度的硫化氢气体。
The gas, which smells like rotten eggs, can affect people with breathing problems.
这种闻起来像臭鸡蛋的气体会影响有呼吸问题的人。
Last month, the U.S. Virgin Islands warned of unusually high amounts of sargassum getting into the machinery at a desalination plant near St. Croix.
上个月，美属维尔京群岛警告称，圣克罗伊附近一家海水淡化厂的机器中有大量的马尾藻。
The plant is struggling to produce fresh water from seawater leading the U.S. government to declare an emergency due to water shortage.
由于该工厂在用海水生产淡水的过程中遇到了困难，美国政府宣布因缺水而进入紧急状态。
Small amounts of sargassum help clean water and take in carbon dioxide.
少量的马尾藻有助于清洁水和吸收二氧化碳。
It is an important part of the natural environment for fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs and other creatures.
它是鱼、龟、虾、蟹等生物生存的自然环境的重要组成部分。
It is also used in fertilizer, food, biofuel, building materials and medicinal products.
它还被用于化肥、食品、生物燃料、建筑材料和医药产品。
But it is bad for tourism and the environment when too much builds up near the coast or on beaches.
但当海岸附近或海滩上堆积了太多海藻时，就会对旅游业和环境产生不利影响。
On Union Island, which is part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the algae invasion has recently forced some tourist areas to close for up to five months.
联合岛是圣文森特和格林纳丁斯群岛的一部分，最近海藻入侵迫使该岛一些旅游区关闭长达五个月。
Large masses of sargassum also have hurt the Caribbean's fishing industry.
大量的马尾藻也损害了加勒比海的渔业。
They damage boat engines and fishing equipment and prevent fishermen from reaching their vessels and fishing grounds.
它们损坏船只引擎和捕鱼设备，并阻止渔民到达他们的船只和渔场。
Fewer fish are caught.
捕到的鱼越来越少。
Barbados, where the beaches are covered with reddish-brown algae, has been hit especially hard.
巴巴多斯的海滩上布满了红褐色的海藻，受到的打击尤其严重。
Too much sargassum was thought to cause the recent deaths of thousands of fish in the French Caribbean island of Martinique.
人们认为马尾藻数量之多是导致法属加勒比海马提尼克岛最近数千条鱼死亡的原因。
Activists are now worried about how it affects endangered turtles.
活动人士现在担心它会如何影响濒临灭绝的海龟。
Some are dying at sea while struggling to move through the algae.
有些海龟在挣扎着穿过海藻时死在了海里。
Some are unable to lay their eggs over the algae-covered sand.
有些海龟无法在布满海藻的沙子上产蛋。
Some island nations use heavy machinery to remove algae from the beach.
一些岛国使用重型机械来清除海滩上的海藻。
But scientists warn that it causes erosion and may also destroy the nests of endangered turtles.
但科学家警告称，它会造成侵蚀，还可能破坏濒危海龟的巢穴。
I’m Anna Matteo.
安娜·马特奥为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
