Scientists increasingly are aiming to move animals endangered by rising temperatures to new areas where they have never lived before in an effort to save them. One example is a project in Hawaii that moved，or relocated，a seabird species（物种）from one island to another about 800 kilometers away.
Traditionally，scientists have considered the idea of species relocation（迁移）risky. This is because it can cause problems for existing native animals. But some scientists now believe relocation is necessary to save threatened species. Moves have already been considered for several species, including birds, lizards, butterflies and even plants.
The relocation in Hawaii included the Tristram's storm petrel, a seabird that is native to low-lying islands in Hawaii and Japan. The project moved about 40 young birds from Hawaii's Tern Island to Oahu, one of the state's biggest islands. The Tristram's storm petrel is considered at risk of doing out.
Tern Island is now just 1. 8 meters above sea level. Scientists fear the island may disappear completely if the sea level there continues to rise. Scientists hope the relocated animals can someday be returned to their native environments if conditions change.
Some lawmakers in western states, including Montana, New Mexico and Arizona, are against the proposal. They say moving species to new places could create environmental problems and result in an "invasive（人侵的）species".
·Federal officials are expected to decide the proposal. Jason McLachlan is a biologist, who thinks the government proposal shows an important change "in the way we think of species protection and conservation".
Pacific Rim Conservation's YanderWerf said that to save storm petrels, scientists need to act before populations have crashed. "In 30 years, there will certainly be few such birds, if we don't do. Anything about it," he said.
James Watson is a scientist at the University of Queensland in Australia. He said that "Many, many species must be moved, or they could go out of existence". Watson added that increasing wildfire has forced some relocations of animals.
