Hey, you guys! Welcome back to a new episode of News Bites.

I'm Jacob Ingram.

And I'm Allie Highsmith.

In today's news: Dugongs and microplastics are harming plants.

And for today's Tasty: The layers of the ocean.

Stay tuned for more on those stories.
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時隔88年，儒艮現蹤宜蘭外海
First Wild Dugong Sighted in 88 Years

Have you ever heard of a dugong (儒艮)?

Dugongs are sea creatures related to manatees (海牛).

They're often called "sea cows".

What's the difference between them?

Well, dugongs have a tail shaped like a dolphin's.
儒艮的尾巴形狀像海豚。

The last time a live dugong was seen in Taiwan's waters was in 1937.

After that, people thought the dugong was extinct (滅絕) in Taiwan.

In fact, conservationists (自然保護者) consider the dugong a vulnerable
species (脆弱物種).

But wait, here's some exciting news!

On March 25th, a wild, live dugong was found in Yilan after it was
accidentally caught in a fisherman's net (漁夫的漁網).

This was the first time in 88 years that anyone had seen a dugong in Taiwan!

The fisherman, Chen, was surprised (驚訝) when he went to check his net.

He found a 3-meter-long (三公尺長), 500 kg (五百公斤) dugong trapped inside.

He quickly took pictures and videos of the animal and carefully released it
back into the ocean.

At that moment, he didn't know that it was such an endangered species
(瀕危物種).

Chen's pictures quickly caught the attention of scientists in Taiwan and
Japan.

Did you know that dugongs are sometimes linked to mermaid myths
(美人魚的神話)?

People once thought that when dugongs came up for air, they looked like
humans from afar.

That's how mermaid stories started!

The last records of dugongs in Taiwan were from remains found in 1986.

Experts say there hadn't been any modern records of dugongs caught in Taiwan
until recently.

It's possible that this dugong came from Okinawa (沖繩) and followed the
ocean currents (洋流) to Taiwan.

在台灣海域發現儒艮表示我們改善海洋生態的努力沒有白費。

Sadly, dugongs were once hunted in large numbers.
可悲的是，儒艮曾被大量獵殺。

Today, the biggest problem they face is losing their homes in the ocean.

Let's hope this sighting helps raise awareness about protecting these
beautiful creatures!
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研究發現 塑膠微粒會影響植物的光合作用
Microplastics Making Photosynthesis Harder for Plants

Have you ever thought about how plastic might be affecting our planet?

Plastic is everywhere, right?

It's in our homes, schools, and even in nature (大自然).

But did you know that small pieces of plastic, called microplastics
(塑膠微粒), are also causing problems?

These tiny pieces of plastic are less than 5 millimeters long (五毫米長度).

They can be found in water, soil, and even inside our bodies!
塑膠微粒甚至有可能在我們的身體內!

Recently, scientists did a study.

They found that microplastics are blocking (阻礙) plants from making food?

This process is called photosynthesis (光合作用).

Photosynthesis is when plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide
into food and oxygen.
光合作用是指植物利用陽光將水和二氧化碳轉化為食物和氧氣的過程。

It's how plants stay alive, and it's also how we get oxygen (氧氣) to breathe!

But here's the problem...

Microplastics are getting into the soil and blocking the plants from taking
in water and nutrients (營養物質).

These tiny plastics can even release harmful chemicals (有害化學物質) that
can harm plants.

In the study, scientists used artificial intelligence (人工智慧) to look at a
lot of data.

They found microplastics could reduce photosynthesis by as much as 12%.

This means that plants like wheat (小麥), rice (稻米), and corn (玉米) might
not grow as well.

We could lose up to 14% of these important crops worldwide!

Scientists say if plants grow slower, they might still produce enough food in
the end.

But still, experts say we need to take action now.

減少塑膠污染真的刻不容緩。

If we don't, plastic pollution could cause even more harm to our planet in
the next 70 to 100 years.

So, let's all think about how we use plastic and find ways to reduce it.
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So, in today's News Bites:

Dugongs, also known as "sea cows", were thought to be extinct in Taiwan, with
the last sighting in 1937.

But on March 25th, a fisherman in Yilan accidentally caught a live dugong in
his net.

This was the first sighting in 88 years!

Scientists believe it may have traveled from Okinawa.
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And...

Scientists have discovered that microplastics are harming plants by blocking
their ability to absorb water and nutrients.

This could reduce crop growth and lower food production worldwide.

Experts believe reducing plastic pollution is urgent.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

And in today's Tasty Tidbit:

Did you know the ocean has different layers, just like a big cake?

The Sunlight Zone (透光帶) is the top layer where the sun shines, and most
sea animals live.

Further down is the Twilight Zone (中層帶). It's deeper and darker, with only
a little light.

Then there's the Midnight Zone (半深海帶). There is no light at all here.
It's freezing cold and pitch black (漆黑一團).

Deeper down still, we have the Abyssal Zone (深淵帶) - a huge, deep area with
very high pressure. Not many creatures live here.

Then finally, we have the Hadal Zone (超深淵帶) - the deepest part, found
only in ocean trenches (海溝).

Some deep-sea creatures (深海生物) make their own light to survive in the
dark.

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If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share
with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to
newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode.

We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!