I-Cownose Ray yaseChesapeake Bay

Umbhali: UMaggie Bass, ngokwesekwa nguBeryl Dann

UMargaret Bass uyisazi sebhayoloji e-Eckerd College futhi uyingxenye yomphakathi wabafundi be-TOF.

Eminyakeni engamakhulu amabili edlule, i-Chesapeake Bay yayigcwele impilo ngezinga okunzima ukulicabanga namuhla. Isekela futhi iyaqhubeka nokweseka inqwaba yemiphakathi yasogwini—nakuba imisebenzi yabantu kusukela ekuvuneni ngokweqile kuya ekuthuthukisweni ngokweqile iye yaba nemiphumela emibi. Angiyena umdobi. Angilwazi uvalo lokuncika emthonjeni wemali ongalindelekile. Ukungidobela izinhlanzi bekungijabulisa ngempela. Uma ngibheka isimo sami, ngisaphoxekile uma ngifika ngibuya kodoba ngingenazinhlanzi engizozithosa. Njengoba ukuphila komuntu kusengozini, ngingacabanga nje ukuthi impumelelo yanoma iluphi uhambo lokudoba ingase isho lukhulu kangakanani kumdobi. Noma yini ephazamisa umdobi ukubamba izinhlanzi ezinhle, kuye, kuyindaba yomuntu siqu. Ngiyaqonda ukuthi kungani umdobi we-oyster noma inkalankala ehlaza okwesibhakabhaka engase abe nenzondo engaka ngemisebe yenkomo, ikakhulukazi ngemva kokuzwa ukuthi imisebe ye-cownose ayiyona imvelo, ukuthi inani lemisebe e-Chesapeake lalikhula ngendlela engalawuleki, nokuthi imisebe iqeda izinkalankala eziluhlaza kanye ne-oyster. . Akunandaba ukuthi lezo zinto cishe ngeke zibe yiqiniso—umsebe wenkomo uyisikhohlakali esikahle.

Imisebe yenkomo mihle. Imizimba yazo imise okwedayimane, inomsila omude omncane kanye nezimpiko eziyinyama ezacile eziphumela ngaphandle njengamaphiko. Lapho zinyakaza, zibukeka sengathi zindiza emanzini. Umbala wazo onsundu phezulu uzivumela ukuba zicashe phansi emfuleni onodaka ezilwaneni ezidla ezinye phezulu futhi indawo emhlophe engaphansi izenza zifihle ukuhlangana nesibhakabhaka esikhanyayo ngokubuka kwezilwane ezidla ezinye ngezansi. Ubuso babo buyinkimbinkimbi futhi kunzima ukubuchaza. Amakhanda azo amise okwesikwele kancane ane-indent enkabeni yekhala kanye nomlomo otholakala ngaphansi kwekhanda. Banamazinyo ahlabayo, kunokuba babe namazinyo abukhali njengezihlobo zabo zoshaka, okudla izimbaza ezinamagobolondo athambile—umthombo wokudla eziwuthanda kakhulu.

Imisebe ye-cownose iya endaweni yase-Chesapeake Bay ngasekupheleni kwentwasahlobo bese ithuthela eFlorida ngasekupheleni kwehlobo. Bayizidalwa ezifuna ukwazi futhi ngibabonile behlola idokodo lethu ekhaya lomndeni wethu eningizimu yeMaryland. Njengoba ngikhula ngibabona endaweni yethu, babehlale bengenza ngizizwe nginovalo. Ukuhlanganiswa kwamanzi oMfula i-Patuxent ansundu ansundu nokuwabona ehamba ngokunyenya nangobuhle futhi engazi okuningi ngawo kwabangela lokhu kukhathazeka. Nokho, njengoba sengikhulile futhi sengazi okwengeziwe ngabo, abasangithusi. Ngicabanga ukuthi bahle impela. Kodwa ngokudabukisayo, imisebe yenkomo iyahlaselwa.

Kuningi impikiswano ethinta umsebe wenkomo. Imithombo yezindaba yasendaweni nezindawo zokudoba kuveza imisebe yenkomo njengehlaselayo futhi ebhubhisayo, futhi abaphathi bezindawo zokudoba ngezinye izikhathi bakhuthaza ukudoba okunonya kanye nokuvunwa kwemisebe ye-cownose ukuze kuvikelwe izinhlobo ezifiseleka kakhulu ezifana nama-oyster nama-scallops. Idatha yokusekela lokhu kuhlukaniswa kocwaningo lwenkomo eshicilelwe kujenali Isayensi ngo-2007 ngu-Ransom A. Myers wase-Dalhousie University kanye nozakwabo enesihloko esithi, “Umphumela Wokulahleka Kokulahlekelwa Kwe-Apex Predatory Sharks evela olwandle olusogwini”. Ucwaningo luphethe ngokuthi ukuncipha koshaka kuholele ekwenyukeni ngokushesha kwemisebe yenkomo. Ocwaningweni, u-Myers ukhulume ngecala elilodwa kuphela lombhede owodwa we-scallop eNyakatho Carolina owawuthathwe uhlanzekile ngemisebe yenkomo. Lolu cwaningo lwakwenza kwacaca ukuthi ababhali balo bebengazi ukuthi ama-cownose ray adle ama-scallops neminye imikhiqizo yasolwandle edayiswayo kwezinye izindawo nakwezinye izinkathi zonyaka, kodwa leyo mininingwane ilahlekile. Umphakathi odobayo waseChesapeake Bay ukholelwa ukuthi imisebe yenkomo icindezela ama-oyster nezinkalankala eziluhlaza ukuba ashabalala futhi, ngenxa yalokho, isekela ukuqothulwa kanye “nokulawula” kwemisebe. Ingabe imisebe yenkomo ayilawuleki ngempela? Alukho ucwaningo oluningi olwenziwe ngokuthi mingaki imisebe yenkomo i-Chesapeake Bay ngokomlando eyayinayo, engasekela manje, noma uma le mikhuba yokudoba enolaka ibangela ukwehla kwenani labantu. Kunobufakazi nokho bokuthi imisebe yenkomo ihlale ihlala eChesapeake Bay. Abantu basola impumelelo engalingani yemizamo yokuvikela ukhwathu nezinkalankala eziluhlaza emisebeni yezinkomo, okusekelwe kuphela kumazwana kaMyers mayelana nemisebe edla ama-scallops endaweni eyodwa ocwaningweni lwakhe lwango-2007.

Ngike ngakubona ukuthunjwa nokubulawa kwemisebe yenkomo emfuleni iPatuxent. Abantu basemfuleni ngezikebhe ezincane ezinama-harpoons noma izibhamu noma izingwegwe kanye nomugqa. Ngike ngibabone bedonsa imisebe beyishaya eceleni kwezikebhe zabo kuze kube yilapho impilo ibashiya. Kwangicasula. Ngazizwa sengathi nginesibopho sokuvikela leyo misebe. Ngake ngabuza umama, “Akukho emthethweni lokho?” futhi ngathuka futhi ngadabuka lapho engitshela ukuthi akunjalo.

Bengilokhu ngingomunye walabo bantu abakholelwa ukuthi kubalulekile ukukwazi ukuzilimela nokuvuna ukudla kwami. Futhi impela uma abantu bebebamba umsebe noma emibili ukuze badle isidlo sakusihlwa, khona-ke bengingeke ngikhathazeke. Ngiye ngabamba futhi ngadla eyami izinhlanzi nezimbaza endaweni yethu izikhathi eziningi, futhi ngokwenza lokhu, ngithola ukuqaphela ukushintshashintsha kwenani lezinhlanzi nezimbaza. Ngiyaqaphela ukuthi ngivuna kangakanani ngoba ngifuna ukuqhubeka nokuvuna emanzini azungeze indawo yami. Kodwa ukuhlatshwa kwenqwaba yemisebe yenkomo akusimeme futhi akunabuntu.

Ekugcineni imisebe yenkomo ingase ibulawe iphele. Lokhu kuhlaba kudlula ukubeka ukudla etafuleni lomndeni. Kunenzondo ngemva kokuvunwa okukhulu kwemisebe yenkomo e-Bay—inzondo ebangelwa ukwesaba. Ukwesaba ukulahlekelwa okuyisisekelo okubili kwaziwa kakhulu e-Chesapeake Bay: izinkalankala eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nama-oyster. Ukwesaba komdobi isizini enensayo nokwenza imali encane ukuze akwazi ukuziphilisa, noma angabi nayo nhlobo. Nokho empeleni asazi ukuthi umsebe uyisikhohlakali yini—ngokwesibonelo, i-catfish eluhlaza, edla kakhulu futhi edla yonke into kusukela kwezinkalankala kuya kwezinhlanzi ezisakhula.

Mhlawumbe sekuyisikhathi sesixazululo sokuzivikela. Kudingeka kumiswe ukuhlatshwa kwemisebe yenkomo, futhi kwenziwe ucwaningo olunzulu, ukuze kuphathwe ngendlela efanele indawo yokudoba. Ososayensi bangakwazi ukumaka imisebe yenkomo ngendlela efanayo oshaka abamakwa ngayo futhi balandelelwa ngayo. Ukuziphatha kanye namaphethini okuphakela emisebeni yenkomo kungalandelelwa futhi kuqoqwe idatha eyengeziwe. Uma kukhona ukwesekwa okweqile kwesayensi okuphakamisa ukuthi imisebe yenkomo icindezela ukhwathu kanye ne-blue crab stocks, khona-ke lokhu kufanele kuthumele umyalezo wokuthi impilo kanye nokuphathwa kabi kwe-Bay kubangela le ngcindezi emisebeni yezinkomo, futhi empeleni lokhu kucindezela izinkalankala eziluhlaza kanye ukhwathu. Singakwazi ukubuyisela ibhalansi ye-Chesapeake Bay ngezindlela ezingafani nokuhlatshwa kwezinhlobo ezingase zichume.

Amakhredithi esithombe: 1) NASA 2) URobert Fisher/I-VASG

Inothi lomhleli: NgoFebhuwari 15, 2016, isifundo yashicilelwa kujenali Imibiko yeSayensi, lapho ithimba lososayensi eliholwa uDean Grubbs weNyuvesi yaseFlorida State University liphikisa ucwaningo olucashunwe kabanzi lwango-2007 (“Cascading Effect of the loss of Apex Predatory Sharks from a Coastal Ocean”) olwathola ukuthi ukudotshwa ngokweqile koshaka abakhulu kwakubangele ukuqhuma. ebuningini bemisebe, yona eyashwabadela ama-bivalves, ama-clams nama-scallops ngasogwini olusempumalanga.