無聲的崩解：氣候變遷如何讓海星化為軟泥 The Silent Meltdown: How Climate Change Is Turning Sea Stars to Goo
NOV. 17,2025 / Analytical Editors
Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) is a strange and serious illness affecting sea stars, or starfish. This disease causes sea stars to develop painful lesions, lose their arms, and eventually turn into a gooey, melted mess. Since it was first observed in 2013, millions of sea stars along the Pacific coast of North America have died from this __1__.
Although viruses were once considered a possible cause, researchers now believe that environmental stressors and microorganisms are primarily __2__ for sea star wasting disease. One of the main environmental triggers appears to be warmer ocean water. When the water heats up, it promotes the __3__ growth of tiny aquatic organisms called phytoplankton. These phytoplankton blooms consume large amounts of oxygen in the water, making it hard for sea stars to __4__. At the same time, microorganisms living on and around the sea stars multiply, feeding on their decaying tissue and __5__ the problem. This creates a dangerous cycle where sea stars slowly suffocate and waste away.
海星衰弱症候群是影響海星的一種奇怪且嚴重的疾病。這種疾病會讓海星出現疼痛的損傷、失去腕足，最後變成一團軟又黏的融化物。自該疾病於 2013 年首次被發現以來，北美太平洋沿岸已有數百萬隻海星死於此疾病。
?雖然病毒曾一度被認為是可能的病因，但研究人員現在認為，環境壓力與微生物的綜合作用才是引發海星衰弱症候群的主因。其中一個主要的環境觸發因素似乎是海水溫度升高。當水溫上升時，會促使被稱為浮游植物的微小水生有機體快速成長。這些浮游植物大量繁殖會消耗水中大量的氧氣，讓海星難以呼吸。與此同時，生活在海星表面和周圍的微生物數量會大量增加、啃食腐爛的海星組織、使問題更加嚴重。這形成了一個危險的循環，海星會慢慢窒息死亡而分解。
die from... 死於...
virus n. 病毒
heat up 變熱
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