Incwadi evela kuMnikezeli we-TOF: Lapho sesikhona manje namaCorals of the World

Ibhalwe nguCharlie Veron 

Amakhorali Omhlaba kuwumsebenzi owaqala ngomzamo weminyaka emihlanu wokuhlanganisa lokho okwaba i-encyclopaedia enekhophi eqinile enemiqulu emithathu enezithombe ezibonisa ukuhlukahluka kwamakhorali emhlabeni wonke, eyanyatheliswa ngo-3. Nokho lowo msebenzi omkhulu wawuyisiqalo nje—ngokusobala sasidinga ukuxhumana. ku-inthanethi, okuvuselelekayo, isistimu yokufinyelela evulekile ehlanganisa izingxenye ezimbili ezinkulu: I-Coral Geographic futhi I-Coral Id.

Kuleli sonto singamemezela ngokunqoba lokho I-Coral Geographic, enye yezingxenye ezimbili ezinkulu ze Amakhorali Omhlaba, iyasebenza nakuba (uxolo) kufanele ivikelwe ngephasiwedi kuze kube yilapho isilungele ukuqalisa. Iklanyelwe ukunikeza abasebenzisi ithuluzi elisha lokuthola konke mayelana nokuthi amakhorali akuphi. Ngokwenza kanjalo idlula kude konke obekulindelwe ekuqaleni njengoba ivumela abasebenzisi ukuthi bakhethe izingxenye ezihlukene zomhlaba, bazihlanganise noma baziqhathanise, bakhiqize ngokushesha amamephu futhi baklelise izinhlobo ezizokwenza kanjalo. Ubunjiniyela besizindalwazi obuhilelekile, obusebenza ku-platform ye-Google Earth, buthathe isikhathi esingangonyaka ukuthuthukisa, kodwa sekuyisikhathi esichithwe kahle.

Enye ingxenye enkulu, I-ID ye-Coral ngethemba kuzoba ngaphansi kwenselelo yobuchwepheshe. Izonikeza zonke izinhlobo zabasebenzisi ukufinyelela ngokushesha olwazini olumayelana namakhorali, kusizwa izincazelo ezifundeka kalula kanye nezithombe ezingaba ngu-8000. Amakhasi ezinhlobo zezilwane aklanywe futhi ekugcineni sinezingxenye eziningi ezihlanganisa amafayela edatha afundekayo ekhompuyutha kusenesikhathi sokulungiselelwa. I-prototype isebenza KAHLE - idinga nje ukushuna okuhle nokuxhuma nayo I-Coral Geographic futhi ngokuphambene. Sihlela ukwengeza ukhiye we-elekthronikhi (inguqulo yewebhusayithi ebuyekeziwe yakudala I-ID ye-Coral CD-ROM) kulokhu, kodwa lokho kusemuva okwamanje.

Kube khona izinto ezimbalwa ezibambezelekayo. Esokuqala siwukuthi siye sabona sekwedlule isikhathi ukuthi sidinga ukushicilela imiphumela ebalulekile yomsebenzi wethu kumajenali esayensi abuyekezwe ngontanga ngaphambi kokukhululwa kwewebhusayithi, ngaphandle kwalokho omunye umuntu uzosenzela lokhu (leyo yindlela isayensi ehamba ngayo) . Uhlolojikelele lwe-coral taxonomy lusanda kwamukelwa yi- I-Zoological Journal ye-Linnean Society. Umbhalo wesandla wesibili omkhulu we-coral biogeography uyalungiswa manje. Imiphumela mihle. Isikhathi sokuphila komsebenzi siye sangena kulokhu futhi manje ngokokuqala ngqa sesikwazi ukukuhlanganisa ndawonye. Lezi zihloko zizophinde zibe kuwebhusayithi zivumela abasebenzisi ukuthi bagxume phakathi kokubuka kabanzi kanye nemininingwane emihle. Ngikholwa ukuthi konke lokhu kuzoba umhlaba kuqala, wezilwane zasolwandle okungenani.

Ukubambezeleka kwesibili kuyinselele enkulu. Besizofaka ukuhlolwa kokuba sengozini kwezinhlobo zezinhlobo ekukhishweni kokuqala. Khona-ke, ngemva kokuhlola inani elikhulu ledatha esinayo, manje sihlela ukwakha imojula yesithathu, I-Coral Enquirer, okudlulela ngalé kokuhlolwa kokuba sengozini. Uma singayixhasa ngezimali futhi siyinjiniyela (futhi lokhu kuzoba inselele kuzo zombili lezi zibalo), lokhu kuzonikeza izimpendulo ezisekelwe kwisayensi cishe kunoma yimuphi umbuzo wokongiwa kwemvelo ongawucabanga. Izimisele kakhulu, ngakho-ke ngeke ifakwe ekukhishweni kokuqala kwe Amakhorali Omhlaba okuyinto manje esiyihlelela ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo.

Ngizobe ngikugcina ungazise. Ngeke ucabange ukuthi sibonga kangakanani ngoxhaso (uxhaso lokuhlenga) esilutholile: konke lokhu bekuzoshabalala ngaphandle kwakho.

UCharlie Veron (owaziwa nangokuthi ngu-JEN Veron) ungusosayensi wasolwandle onobungcweti obahlukahlukene bamakhorali nezixhobo. UnguSosayensi Omkhulu wangaphambili we-Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) futhi manje usenguSolwazi oyi-Adjunct wamanyuvesi amabili. Uhlala eduze kwase-Townsville Australia lapho abhale khona izincwadi eziyi-13 nama-monographs kanye nezindatshana ezingaba ngu-100 ezazidume kancane nezesayensi kule minyaka engama-40 edlule.