Ukujonga ngasemva: Ukufunda okuBlue kunye nokuPhila ngokuHlaza

Ngu: Alexandra Kirby, uMfundi wezoNxibelelwano, i-Ocean Foundation

Xa ndihamba kwi-Shoals Marine Laboratory ngoJuni 29th, 2014, andizange ndiyazi into endizifaka kuyo. Ndisuka kwiphondo laseNew York, ndiqhuba kakhulu kwezonxibelelwano kwiYunivesithi yaseCornell, kwaye ndingatsho ngokunyanisekileyo ukuba, ebomini bam, ukubona amasimi avulekileyo aneenkomo ezityayo kuqhelekile kunokubona ubomi baselwandle ngaselwandle. Nangona kunjalo, ndazifumanisa ndisiya Isiqithi saseAppledore, esona siqithi sikhulu kwezisithoba kwiziqithi ze-Isles of Shoals, iikhilomitha ezintandathu ukusuka kunxweme lweMaine, ukuze sifunde ngezilwanyana zaselwandle. Usenokuba uyazibuza ukuba kutheni unxibelelwano olukhulu olusuka kumantla eNew York lunomdla wokuchitha iiveki ezimbini efunda ngezilwanyana zaselwandle. Ewe, nantsi impendulo elula: Ndiye ndaluthanda ulwandle kwaye ndiye ndabuqonda ubungakanani bendlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukulondolozwa kolwandle. Ndiyazi ukuba ndineendlela zokuhamba, kodwa, kancinci kancinci, ndiyaqala ukufunda ngakumbi nangakumbi malunga nokulondolozwa kolwandle kunye nonxibelelwano lwesayensi.

Ndisingise kwindlela apho ndizifumana ndidibanisa ulwazi lwam lonxibelelwano kunye nokubhala nothando lwam ngobomi baselwandle kunye nokugcinwa kolwandle. Abantu abaninzi, mhlawumbi nawe ubandakanyiwe, banokubuza ukuba umntu onjengam angaluthanda njani ulwandle xa ndingakhange ndivezwe kwimiba emininzi yobomi baselwandle kunye neziganeko. Ewe, ndingakuxelela ukuba njani. Ndizibone sendifunda iincwadi kunye namanqaku amalunga nolwandle nezilwanyana ezanyisayo zaselwandle. Ndizifumene ndikhangela kwi-Intanethi ngeziganeko zangoku kunye neengxaki ezijongene nolwandle. Kwaye ndazifumana ndisebenzisa amajelo eendaba ezentlalo ukubuyisa ulwazi oluvela kwii-nonprofits zolondolozo lolwandle, njengeSiseko soLwandle, kunye nemibutho karhulumente, efana ne-NOAA. Andizange ndibe nokufikelela kulwandle olubonakalayo ngoko ndafunda malunga nezixhobo ezifikelelekayo (zonke ziyimizekelo yonxibelelwano lwesayensi).

Emva kokuya kuNjingalwazi weBhayoloji yaseLwandle yaseCornell malunga nenkxalabo yam yokudibanisa ukubhala kunye nokugcinwa kolwandle, wandiqinisekisa ukuba ngokuqinisekileyo kukho i-niche yokunxibelelana malunga nokugcinwa kolwandle. Enyanisweni, wandixelela ukuba ifuneka kakhulu. Ukuva oku kwawuqinisa umnqweno wam wokugxila kunxibelelwano lolondolozo lolwandle. Ndandinonxibelelwano kunye nolwazi lokubhala phantsi kwebhanti yam, kodwa ndandisazi ukuba ndifuna amava okwenene ebhayoloji yaselwandle. Ngoko, ndapakisha iibhegi zam ndaya kwiGulf of Maine.

Isiqithi saseAppledore sasingafani naso nasiphi na isiqithi endakha ndaya kuso ngaphambili. Kumphezulu, izinto zayo eziluncedo ezimbalwa zikhangeleka zingaphuhliswanga kwaye zilula. Nangona kunjalo, xa uthe waqonda ubunzulu betekhnoloji ukufikelela kwisiqithi esizinzileyo, awungekhe ucinge ukuba kulula. Ngokusebenzisa umoya, amandla elanga, kunye nedizili, iShoals ivelisa owayo umbane. Ukulandela umzila osingise kwindlela yokuphila ezinzileyo, iinkqubo zokucocwa kwamanzi amdaka, ukuhanjiswa kwamanzi etyuwa, kunye ne-SCUBA compressor ziyagcinwa.

Ukuphila ngendlela ezinzileyo ayisiyiyo yodwa edibanisa noShoals. Ngapha koko, ndicinga ukuba iiklasi zinokuninzi ezinokunikela. Ndithathe inxaxheba kwiNtshayelelo kwiklasi yeMarine Mammal Biology efundiswa nguGqr. Nadine Lysiak osuka kwi IZiko leWoods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Le klasi yayijolise ekufundiseni abafundi ngebhayoloji yezilwanyana ezanyisayo zaselwandle, igxile kwiminenga neentini kwiNyoba yaseMaine. Ngosuku lokuqala, iklasi yonke yathatha inxaxheba kuphando lokujongwa kwezitywina. Sikwazile ukubala ubuninzi kunye neefoto ze-ID yotywino lomntu ngamnye emva kokuthatha imifanekiso yeendawo zokuthuthwa kwekoloni. Emva kwala mava, bendinethemba elikhulu kakhulu kwiklasi yonke; kwaye andizange ndiphoxeke.

Egumbini lokufundela (ewe, besingekho ngaphandle sibukele amatywina imini yonke), siye sagubungela uluhlu olubanzi lwezihloko ezibandakanya i-taxonomy kunye neentlobo ezahlukeneyo, ulungelelwaniso lwe-morphological kunye nephysiological kubomi baselwandle, i-ecology kunye nokuziphatha, imijikelo yokuzala, i-bioacoustics, Unxibelelwano nge-anthropogenic, kunye nolawulo lweentlobo zezilwanyana ezanyisayo ezisesichengeni.

Ndafunda okungakumbi kunokuba ndandinethemba ngezilwanyana zaselwandle kunye neZiqithi zeShoals. Satyelela ISmuttynose Island, kwaye ushiye kunye neentsomi ezintle malunga nokubulawa kwabaphangi okwenzeka kwisiqithi kungekudala kakhulu. Kanye ngengomso senza umsebenzi wokugqiba inkqubo yokuxilonga i-harp seal. Nangona iintaka zingezozilwanyana ezanyisayo zaselwandle, ndafunda okungakumbi kunokuba ndandicinga ngeengabangaba, njengoko kwakukho oomama abakhuselayo namantshontsho adlamkileyo awayezulazula kweso siqithi. Esona sifundo sibalulekileyo yayikukungaze ndisondele kakhulu (ndifunde ngendlela enzima – ndadinwa ngamaxesha amaninzi ngabantu abandlongo-ndlongo, nabazikhusela ngokugqithisileyo, oomama).

IShoals Marine Laboratory yandinika ithuba elikhethekileyo lokufunda ngolwandle nangezilwanyana zaselwandle ezilubiza ngokuba likhaya. Ukuhlala eAppledore iiveki ezimbini kwandivula amehlo kwindlela entsha yokuphila, ephenjelelwa kukuthanda ukwenza ngcono ulwandle kunye nokusingqongileyo. Ngelixa ndise-Appledore, ndiye ndakwazi ukufumana uphando oluyinyani kunye namava okwenyani endle. Ndifunde iinkcukacha ezininzi malunga nezilwanyana zaselwandle kunye ne-Isles of Shoals kwaye ndajonga kwihlabathi laselwandle, kodwa ndahlala ndicinga emva kwiingcambu zam zonxibelelwano. UShoals ngoku undinike amathemba aphezulu okuba unxibelelwano kunye namajelo eendaba ezentlalo zizixhobo ezinamandla ezinokuthi zisetyenziswe ukufikelela kuluntu ngokubanzi kunye nokuphucula ukuqonda koluntu ngokubanzi malunga nolwandle kunye neengxaki zalo.

Kukhuselekile ukuthi andishiyanga iSiqithi saseAppledore ndingenanto. Ndashiya ingqondo egcwele ulwazi malunga nezilwanyana zaselwandle, isiqinisekiso sokuba unxibelelwano kunye nesayensi yolwandle inokudibaniswa, kwaye, ngokuqinisekileyo, i-gull droppings ehlombe lam (ubuncinci inhlanhla yayo!).