UNxweme oluseNtshona, unxweme oluGqwesileyo? Hayi yeStarfish.

Ngu-Alex Kirby, uMfundi wezoNxibelelwano, i-Ocean Foundation

Isifo esingaqondakaliyo sityhutyha unxweme lwaseNtshona, sishiya umkhondo wentlanzi efileyo ngasemva.

Ukusukela ngoJuni ka-2013, iinduli zeenkwenkwezi zaselwandle ezibhubhileyo ezinamalungu avaliweyo zinokubonwa kuNxweme oluseNtshona, ukusuka eAlaska ukuya eMazantsi eCalifornia. Ezi nkwenkwezi zaselwandle, ezikwabizwa ngokuba yi-starfish, zifa ngezigidi kwaye akukho mntu waziyo ukuba kutheni.

Isifo seenkwenkwezi zaselwandle, esona sifo sixhaphake kakhulu esake sarekhodwa kwizinto eziphila elwandle, sinokutshabalalisa bonke abantu beenkwenkwezi zaselwandle ngeentsuku nje ezimbini. Iinkwenkwezi zaselwandle ziqala ngokubonisa iimpawu zokuchatshazelwa sisifo solwandle ngokuchitha ixesha - iingalo zabo ziqala ukugoba kwaye zenze zidiniwe. Emva koko izilonda ziqala ukubonakala kumakhwapha kunye/okanye phakathi kweengalo. Iingalo ze-starfish ziwela ngokupheleleyo, nto leyo yindlela eqhelekileyo yokuphendula uxinzelelo lwe-echinoderms. Nangona kunjalo, emva kokuba ezininzi iingalo ziwile, izicubu zomntu ziya kuqala ukubola kwaye i-starfish iya kufa.

Abaphathi bePaki kwi-Olympic National Park eWashington State babengabantu bokuqala ukufumana ubungqina besi sifo ngo-2013. Emva kokubonwa okokuqala ngaba baphathi kunye nezazinzulu zabasebenzi, abohlukeneyo bezolonwabo baqala ukuqaphela iimpawu zeenkwenkwezi zaselwandle ezichitha isifo. Xa iimpawu zaqala ukuvela rhoqo kwiinkwenkwezi zolwandle ezikuMntla-ntshona wePasifiki, yayilixesha lokutyhila imfihlelo yesi sifo.

U-Ian Hewson, unjingalwazi oncedisayo kwi-microbiology kwiYunivesithi yaseCornell, yenye yeengcali ezimbalwa ezixhotyiselwe ukwenza umsebenzi wokuchonga esi sifo singaziwayo. Ndibe nethamsanqa ngokwaneleyo ukuba ndikwazi ukuthetha noHewson, ophanda ngoku inkwenkwezi yolwandle echitha isifo. Ulwazi olukhethekileyo lukaHewson lweentlobo ngeentlobo zentsholongwane kunye neentsholongwane ezibangela izifo zimenza abe ngoyena mntu unokuphawula esi sifo singaqondakaliyo sichaphazela iindidi ezingama-20 zestarfish.

Emva kokufumana isibonelelo sonyaka omnye kwiNational Science Foundation ngo-2013, uHewson usebenze namaziko alishumi elinesihlanu, njengamaziko emfundo kunxweme oluseNtshona, iVancouver Aquarium, kunye neMonterey Bay Aquarium, ukuqalisa ukuphanda ngesi sifo. Iindawo ezihlala emanzini zinike uHewson umkhondo wakhe wokuqala: esi sifo sichaphazele uninzi lweentlanzi ezihlala emanzini.

“Ngokucacileyo kukho into ephuma ngaphandle,” utshilo uHewson.

Amaziko akuNxweme oluseNtshona anoxanduva lokufumana iisampulu zeenkwenkwezi zaselwandle kwiindawo ezinamaza olwandle. Iisampulu zithunyelwa kulo lonke elaseUnited States kwilebhu kaHewson, ekwikhampasi yaseCornell. Umsebenzi kaHewson kukuthatha ezo sampuli kwaye ahlalutye i-DNA yeenkwenkwezi zaselwandle, ibhaktheriya kunye neentsholongwane ezikuzo.

Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, uHewson ufumene ubungqina bokunxulumana kwe-microorganism kwizihlunu zeenkwenkwezi zaselwandle ezigulayo. Emva kokufumana i-microorganisms kwizicubu, kwakunzima ku-Hewson ukwahlula ukuba zeziphi ii-microorganisms ezijongene nesi sifo.

Hewson uthi, “into entsonkothileyo kukuba, asiqinisekanga ukuba yintoni ebangela esi sifo nokuba yintoni esitya iinkwenkwezi zaselwandle emva kokuba zibolile.”

Nangona iinkwenkwezi zolwandle zisifa ngesantya esingazange sabonwa ngaphambili, uHewson ugxininise ukuba esi sifo sichaphazela nezinye izinto eziphilayo, ezinjengomthombo ophambili weenkwenkwezi zaselwandle zokutya kwazo, i-shellfish. Ngabantu abaninzi beenkwenkwezi zolwandle ababulawa sisifo solwandle, kuya kubakho ukuhlaselwa kweembaza ezisezantsi, okubangela ukwanda kwabantu. I-Shellfish inokuthatha indawo ye-ikhosistim, kwaye ikhokelele ekwehleni okumangalisayo kweentlobo ngeentlobo zezinto eziphilayo.

Nangona uphononongo lukaHewson lungekapapashwa, undixelele into enye ebalulekileyo: “Into esiyifumeneyo ipholile kwaye i microorganisms. are ababandakanyekayo.”

Qinisekisa ukuba ubuyela kwiblogi ye-Ocean Foundation kwikamva elikufutshane ukuze ufumane ibali lokulandela emva kokuba isifundo sika-Ian Hewson sishicilelwe!