Ecology today (Экология сегодня). Макеева М.Н - 31 стр.

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will be at the center of the technology enabling the intricate research of the Atlantic Ocean's depths. "Alvin"
will be carried by the 274-foot (84 meter) mother ship R/V "Atlantis" which is customized to support undersea
operations. Its special a-frame allows fast, safe deployment and recovery of "Alvin". Both "Alvin" and "Atlan-
tis" are maintained and operated by "WHOI Ecology" and "AT&T Broadband" will extend the production on
the 2000 deep sea exploration of the Gulf of Mexico to produce a myriad of video applications from the expedi-
tion that will focus on the health and stability of our planet and what secrets the oceans hold for our future.
Coral communities – their biology, diversity, population status and role as vital habitat for deep-water fishes –
will be explored and recorded. Recent submersible dives suggest that the distribution of corals has significantly
declined in the past three decades, likely destroyed by trawling and dragging.
The stability of the continental shelf along the Hudson Canyon, where methane hydrate deposits exist, will be
closely examined. Scientists have been concerned that a slumping of shelf along the Hudson Canyon – due to in-
stability of the methane hydrate deposits there – would send destructive tidal waves toward the US coastline. The
Hudson Canyon also hosts the world's largest municipal sewage dumpsite along the continental rise off the coast
of New Jersey that has been used for offshore dumping since the 1950s. "Deep Water Dumpsite 106", named so
because it lies about 106 miles off the coast of New Jersey, received the world's largest discharge of municipal
sewage sludge from 1986 – 1992 when chemical increases and biological changes finally brought a halt to the
dumping. The lingering effects of changes that have occurred since then will be recorded and studied.
From the Hudson canyon down into Blake Ridge, a relatively unexplored community of life – that which
decoupled from the photosynthetic food chain and survives on the gas seeps from beneath the ocean's surface –
will be studied and compared to similar communities explored in the Gulf. These chemosynthetic communities
exist far underneath the ocean's surface where sunlight never reaches, yet they thrive on chemicals that are le-
thal to animal life, as we know it. Yet, and perhaps of key importance to the sustainability of human energy
needs for the next century, is the study of these chemosynthetic or seep communities as important markers for
underlying oil and gas resources, specifically methane hydrates. Methane hydrates, which are also in abundance
in the Gulf of Mexico, exist as ice crystals under very heavy pressure underneath the ocean floor. The hydrate
crystals hold a concentration of methane gas molecules up to 160 times greater than the volume of pure natural
gas. Scientists estimate that if these methane hydrates can be successfully mined, the world's energy needs can
be met for centuries.
Words and Expressions:
on the heels – следом за
to stretch – тянуть, растягивать, вытягивать, удлинять
to capture – завладеть, захватить, увлечь, завоевать
hydrate – гидрат, гидроокись
sewage – сточные воды, нечистоты
to unveil – открывать, разоблачать
a core – глубинная, внутренняя, сокровенная часть, суть, сущность
nautical – морской, навигационный, мореходный
aptly – так, как надо, надлежащим, подходящим образом
to span – обхватывать, охватывать
submersible – способный погружаться в воду, действовать в воде
intricate – запутанный, сложный, замысловатый, затруднительный
a deployment – развертывание
to trawl – тралить, ловить рыбу тралом
to drag – углублять дно (реки и т.п.) драгой, драгировать
a discharge – вытекание, выделение, выпускание, спуск, сток, слив
a halt – остановка, прекращение
a canyon – каньон, глубокое ущелье
to decouple – расцеплять, развязывать, разъединять
to seep – просачиваться, проникать, протекать
to thrive – буйно, пышно расти, разрастаться
lethal – смертельный, летальный, смертоносный, вызывающий смерть

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