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| Ballast Water |
| 2003年09月02日14:57:32 网易教育 |
Container ships . . . tankers . . . bulk carriers. They do an important job: Carrying consumer goods across the ocean. But big ships may also carry some accidental stowaways. You'll hear about the problem with ballast water in Our Ocean World.
(SFX: ships bell, then waves :under)
"Over the past three decades a large number of species HAVE been introduced via ballast water."
Jodi Cassell of the California Sea Grant Extension Program says, exotic species can be carried halfway around the world in ballast water. And they can be troublesome in their new homes. For example, Asian clams filter so much plankton from San Francisco Bay, there's no food left for native species.
To prevent exotic species introductions, ballast water exchange is recommended. Creatures from coastal waters won't survive when released on the high seas. But ballast exchange can be dangerous in bad weather.
"I think the ultimate solution for the ballast water issue is going to come with development of a technology that allows some form of cleansing of (edit) the ballast water or sterilizing it."
Ballast water could be sterilized with UV light, chemicals, or heat. Such steps may seem cumbersome, but scientists agree: It's easier to prevent an invasion than to deal with the consequences. From Washington, I'm Marilyn Cooley.
(SFX: harbor ambience, up and out)
Our Ocean World is made possible by Royal Caribbean International and the research labs onboard its new ship, Explorer of the Seas - Royal Caribbean dot com.
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