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Barbara Schroeder on the Gulf oil spill’s impact on sea turtles

EarthSky

Scientists are reporting a dramatic increase in dead and debilitated sea turtles found since the Gulf oil spill in April 2010. EarthSky spoke with Barbara Schroeder, national sea turtle coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. She’s leading the official rescue response for sea turtles across the Gulf of Mexico.

科学研究表明，自今年4月墨西哥湾发生漏油事故以来，已出现大批海龟死亡或衰弱。记者就此采访了芭芭拉·施罗德，国家海洋与大气管理局NOAA国家海龟保护事业专员。她是墨西哥湾海龟官方救援计划的总指挥。

Barbara Schroeder: We’re seeing some of the direct effects now. We’re recovering dead and debilitated turtles that are oiled.

芭芭拉·施罗德：我们已经看到，救援工作取得了直接成效，因油污死亡、衰落的海龟得到了救治。

Since the spill began in April until mid-June, response teams have found about 380 dead sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. That’s about five times as many as last year for the same period according to NOAA. Scientists aren’t yet exactly sure why the turtles are dying.

从4月漏油事故爆发到6月中旬，救援队共发现死海龟380只左右。NOAA表示，海龟死亡数量比去年同期增长了4倍。其确切死因科学家仍不得而知。

Barbara Schroeder: What we do know is that there are significant numbers of turtles that are being affected by the oil, and that will continue for as long as the spill continues and the oil is out there.

芭芭拉·施罗德：我们掌握到的情况是，有相当数量的海龟油污的影响。只要漏油尚未得到控制，海上仍漂浮着油污，这种情况就会一直持续下去。

Schroeder said that it’s too early to tell what the effects of the spill will be on surviving turtle populations.

施罗德称，要预测油污将对活着的海龟种群造成何种影响还为时尚早。

Barbara Schroeder: There may be effects that are not sufficient to kill an animal, but interfere with its reproductive capacity. So maybe it’s a female, and in the future, maybe she doesn’t lay as many eggs.

芭芭拉·施罗德：也许油污还不足以杀死一只动物，但是会影响它的繁殖能力。也许雌性海龟将来的产卵量会下降。

Turtles found alive, said Schroeder, are washed inside and out before being released back to sea.

施罗德表示，救援队找到活着的海龟后，会将它里外的油污洗净再放归大海。 

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