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It is possible that coral
is being killed by
human
diseases. Indeed, humans may be passing forms of
cholera and other
human infections which are
slowly destroying the
coral reefs.
Scientists
have been studying the coral reefs
off the Gulf of Mexico and have
discovered an increase in the number of coral infections. In 1996,
researchers found
sickly reefs
in twenty four places. By 1998 this number had increased
to over
one hundred.
Coral reefs are also dying
at an alarming rate. In one case, a
reef had lost more than one third of its coral in three years.
Professor James Porter said, ‘As we
went back through our data,
we saw an alarming trend.’
Many coral diseases have not been
fully identified yet but
in the
meantime they have been given names such as ‘bleaching’,
‘white plague’, ‘white pox’ and ‘black band’.
Professor Porter says: ‘These are the
cries and whispers which,
when you look at the ocean carefully and really think about
what
is going on, begin to
affront you
with the dangers that lie ahead.’
At the moment, very little
is understood about the diseases
harming the coral.
What is known is that the diseases are most
common in areas where there is
human development. Coral bleaching
may be caused by global warming, which is caused by humans. It is
possible that the coral bleaching may in turn be making the coral
susceptible
to other human diseases.
Scientists have to understand the diseases in order to cure the
sick corals before they disappear
for ever.
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is being killed:
esté siendo destruído
diseases:
enfermedades humanas
cholera: cólera
slowly destroying:
destruyendo lentamente
coral reefs:
los arrecifes (bancos) de coral
off the: fuera de
increase: incremento,
aumento
researchers: los
investigadores
sickly reefs: arrecifes
enfermizos
to over:
a más de
at an alarming rate: a
una velocidad alarmante
went back: regresábamos
a verificar
an alarming trend:
una tendencia alarmante
fully identified yet:
totalmente identificados aún
in the
meantime: mientras tanto |
bleaching:
blanqueo, decoloración
white pox: viruela blanca
black band: banda negra
cries and whispers: gritos
y susurros
what
is going on: qué está ocurriendo
affront: atropellar, hacer
frente
is understood: se
comprende, se entiende
harming: que dañan a
what is known: lo que sí
se conoce
human development: urbanización,
desarrollo humano
susceptible: sensible, propenso
sick corals: corales
enfermos
for ever: para siempre
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