太平洋驚現垃圾島 漂流塑料成礁岩大綱

It captured the world's attention when a huge 'garbage island' was spotted in the middle of the Pacific.
太平洋中發現的一座巨型“垃圾島”引起了全世界的關注。

Now, researchers have returned to the area known as the 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch' - and say it is getting worse.
研究人員現已回到了這片被稱爲“大太平洋垃圾帶”的區域，他們稱這裏的情況越來越差。

Researchers are spending 30 days living on a boat in the area, and have even taken a drone to capture images from the sky.
研究人員用了30天的時間住在船裏考察這片區域，甚至出動了一架無人機從天上拍攝照片。

'Our research crew is currently living in one of the most polluted areas of the world,' the team at Algalita, founded by Charles Moore, who first discovered the problem, said.
發現垃圾島的查爾斯·摩爾創建的加利特研究團隊稱，“我們的研究人員目前住在世界上污染最嚴重的區域之一。”

'This place, 1,000 miles away from land, redefined Algalita’s mission and ignited a fire to study the plastic plague destroying our oceans.
“這裏距離大陸有1000英里，它讓加利特有了新的使命，點燃了我們對破壞海洋的塑料‘瘟疫’的研究熱情。”

'This is the North Pacific Gyre, home of the swirling vortex of plastic trash. '
“這裏位於北太平洋環流，許多塑料垃圾都在這裏打轉。”

'The persistence and increasing quantity of plastic debris has created new habitats—essentially 'plastic reefs' that sea creatures have made their homes', the team say.
該團隊還說，“塑料垃圾存留時間長，數量也不斷增多，逐漸形成了一種新的棲息地——‘塑料礁’，成爲了許多海洋生物的安生之所。”

They also say debris from the Japanese 2011 Tsunami is created its own 'mini islands'.
他們還表示，2011年日本海嘯留下的垃圾雜物形成了一個個“迷你小島”。

The team has already found one, dubbed 'bouy Island', that they believe weights 7 tons.
團隊已經發現了這樣的一個島——“浮標島”，他們估測該島約重7噸。

'When the tsunami hit on March 11th, 2011, it must have ripped out this array and sent it out to sea,' said Captain Charles Moore on the organisation's web site.
在該組織官網上，查爾斯·摩爾說道，“2011年3月11日海嘯來襲時，這些浮標肯定都被扯斷了，然後就在海里漂流。”

The team has also found more permanent fixtures in the garbage patch's landscape.
團隊在這片垃圾帶還發現了其他的永久漂浮物。

For instance, the team has discovered a 'trash island' more than 50 feet (15 meters) long, with 'beaches,' a 'rocky coastline,' and 'underwater mountains' and reefs made up of ropes, buoys and other plastic debris, Moore said.
摩爾舉了幾個例子，比如他們發現了一個足有50英尺（15米）長的“垃圾島”，島上的“沙灘”、“岩石海岸”、“海嶺”和礁石樣樣不缺，它們都是由繩子、浮標和其他塑料垃圾組成的。

Mussels, clams, sea anemones and seaweed were found sheltering on this artificial island, Moore said.
他說，貽貝、蛤蚌、海葵、海藻都寄居在這座島上。

'It's showing signs of permanence,' Moore told Livescience.
摩爾接受生活科學網採訪時說，“看上去，島會一直存在。”

'There will be a new floating world in our oceans if we don't stop polluting with plastics.'
“如果再不控制垃圾污染，我們的海洋中就要出現一個新的漂浮世界了。”