填空题

Climate change has claimed its latest victim: Limacina helicina, a planktonic, predatory (捕食的) sea snail that’s a member of the taxonomic group more (36) known as sea butterflies. (The name is (37) from the wing-like lobes (叶瓣) the tiny creatures use to get around.) In a study (38) published in journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a group of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA. and Oregon State University have found that the Pacific Ocean’s decreasing pH—its acidifying (酸化), in other words—is dissolving L. helicina’s thin shells.
The researchers collected sea butterfly (39) from 13 sites along the Pacific coast (between Washington and southern California), going over each with a scanning electron microscope. More than half of the shells (53%) from onshore individuals (40) signs of "severe dissolution damage," while 24% of (41) individuals suffered dissolution damage. The study’s (42) investigator, Dr. Nina Bednar
ek of NOAA, described the affected L. helicina shells as having a texture not unlike "cauliflower" or "sandpaper."
According to the paper, there was a "strong positive (43) " between the proportion of sea butterflies with severe shell dissolution damage and "the percentage of undersaturated (未达到饱和的) water" near the ocean’s surface. The researchers conclude "shell dissolution owing to (human-caused ocean (44) ) has doubled in near shore habitats since pre-industrial conditions across this region and is on track to triple by 2050," a truly (45) prediction. Moreover, the broader implications for ecosystem are unclear, as damaged shells make it harder for L. helicina to fight infections, stay buoyant, and protect themselves from predators.
A. showed B. recently C. protected D. commonly E. derived
F. samples G. offshore H. principal I. noticed J. correlation
K. encouraging L. seaward M. acidification N. grim O. pollution