West Coast, Best Coast? Osati za Starfish.

Wolemba Alex Kirby, Communications Intern, The Ocean Foundation

Matenda odabwitsa akufalikira ku West Coast, ndikusiya mseu wa nsomba zakufa.

Kuyambira mu June 2013, milu ya nyenyezi zam'nyanja zakufa zomwe zili ndi miyendo yotsekedwa zimatha kuwoneka m'mphepete mwa nyanja ya Kumadzulo, kuchokera ku Alaska kupita ku Southern California. Nyenyezi za m'nyanjazi, zomwe zimadziwikanso kuti starfish, zikufa ndi mamiliyoni ambiri ndipo palibe amene akudziwa chifukwa chake.

Matenda owononga nyenyezi zam'madzi, mosakayikira matenda ofala kwambiri omwe adalembedwapo m'zamoyo zam'madzi, amatha kufafaniza nyenyezi zonse zam'nyanja m'masiku awiri okha. Nyenyezi za m'nyanja zimayamba kusonyeza zizindikiro zokhudzidwa ndi matenda owononga nyenyezi za m'nyanja pochita ulesi - manja awo amayamba kupindika ndipo amachita kutopa. Kenako zilonda zimayamba kuoneka m’khwapa ndi/kapena pakati pa mikono. Mikono ya starfish ndiye kuti imagweratu, zomwe ndizovuta zomwe zimachitika pa echinoderms. Komabe, manja ambiri akagwa, minyewa ya munthuyo imayamba kuwola kenako n’kufa.

Oyang'anira Park ku Olympic National Park ku Washington State anali anthu oyambirira kupeza umboni wa matendawa mu 2013. Pambuyo poyang'ana koyamba ndi mamenejawa ndi asayansi ogwira ntchito, anthu ochita zosangalatsa anayamba kuona zizindikiro za matenda owononga nyenyezi. Pamene zizindikiro zinayamba kuonekera kaŵirikaŵiri m’nyenyezi za m’nyanja zomwe zili ku Pacific kumpoto chakumadzulo, inali nthaŵi yovumbula chinsinsi cha matendawa.

Ian Hewson, wothandizira pulofesa wa sayansi ya tizilombo tating'onoting'ono pa yunivesite ya Cornell, ndi mmodzi mwa akatswiri ochepa omwe ali ndi zida zogwirira ntchito yozindikira matenda osadziwikawa. Ndinachita mwayi kuti ndilankhule ndi Hewson, yemwe panopa akufufuza za matenda owononga nyenyezi. Chidziwitso chapadera cha Hewson cha mitundu yosiyanasiyana ya tizilombo toyambitsa matenda ndi tizilombo toyambitsa matenda timamupangitsa kukhala munthu weniweni wodziwa matenda odabwitsawa omwe akukhudza mitundu 20 ya nsomba za starfish.

Atalandira thandizo la chaka chimodzi kuchokera ku National Science Foundation ku 2013, Hewson wakhala akugwira ntchito ndi mabungwe khumi ndi asanu, monga mabungwe a maphunziro ku West Coast, Vancouver Aquarium, ndi Monterey Bay Aquarium, kuti ayambe kufufuza matendawa. Madzi a m'madziwa adapatsa Hewson chidziwitso chake choyamba: matendawa adakhudza nsomba zambiri zam'madzi zomwe zili m'madzi am'madzi.

"Mwachiwonekere chinachake chikubwera kuchokera kunja," adatero Hewson.

Mabungwe aku West Coast ali ndi udindo wopeza zitsanzo za nyenyezi za m'nyanja m'malo opitilira mafunde. Zitsanzozo zimatumizidwa ku United States kupita ku labu ya Hewson, yomwe ili pa kampasi ya Cornell. Ntchito ya Hewson ndikutenga zitsanzozo ndikusanthula DNA ya nyenyezi za m'nyanja, mabakiteriya, ndi ma virus omwe ali mmenemo.

Pakadali pano, Hewson adapeza umboni wa mayanjano a tizilombo toyambitsa matenda m'matenda a nyenyezi zam'nyanja. Atapeza tizilombo tating'onoting'ono m'matumbo, zinali zovuta kuti Hewson asiyanitse zomwe tizilombo toyambitsa matenda timayambitsa matendawa.

Hewson anati: “Chovuta n’chakuti sitikudziŵa chimene chikuyambitsa matendawa ndiponso chimene chimangodya nyenyezi za m’nyanja zitawola.”

Ngakhale kuti nyenyezi za m’nyanja zikufa kwambiri kuposa n’kale lonse, Hewson anatsindika kuti matendawa amakhudzanso zamoyo zina zambiri, monga gwero lalikulu la zakudya zawo, nkhono. Pokhala ndi anthu ochuluka a nyenyezi za m'nyanja zomwe zikumwalira ndi matenda owononga nyama zam'madzi, padzakhala kuchepa kwa nyama zam'madzi, zomwe zimapangitsa kuti chiwerengero chawo chichuluke. Nkhono zikhoza kulanda chilengedwe, ndikupangitsa kuchepa kwakukulu kwa zamoyo zosiyanasiyana.

Ngakhale phunziro la Hewson silinasindikizidwe, adandiuza chinthu chimodzi chofunikira: "Zomwe tidapeza ndizabwino komanso tizilombo tating'onoting'ono. ndi okhudzidwa.”

Onetsetsani kuti mwayang'ananso ndi blog ya Ocean Foundation posachedwa kuti mumve nkhani yotsatila pambuyo pofalitsidwa ndi Ian Hewson!