Uma sibheka Emuva: Ukufunda Okuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kanye Nokuphila Okuluhlaza

Ngu: Alexandra Kirby, Communications Intern, The Ocean Foundation

Ngenkathi ngihamba ngeShoals Marine Laboratory ngoJuni 29th, 2014, ngangingazi ukuthi ngangizifaka kuyini. Ngivela enyakatho yeNew York, ngenza izifundo ezinkulu kwezokuxhumana eNyuvesi yaseCornell, futhi ngingasho ngeqiniso ukuthi, empilweni yami, ukubona amasimu avulekile anezinkomo eziklabile kuvame kakhulu kunokubona izilwane zasolwandle eduze nolwandle. Noma kunjalo, ngazithola sengiphokophele Appledore Island, isiqhingi esikhulu kunazo zonke kweziyisishiyagalolunye eziqhingini leziqhingi zase-Isles of Shoals, esingamakhilomitha ayisithupha ukusuka ogwini lwaseMaine, ukuze ufunde ngezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle. Ungase uzibuze ukuthi kungani isikhulu sezokuxhumana esivela enyakatho neNew York singaba nentshisekelo yokuchitha amasonto amabili sifunda ngezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle. Nokho, nansi impendulo elula: Sengiluthanda ulwandle futhi sengiye ngaqonda ubukhulu bokubaluleka kokongiwa kolwandle. Ngiyazi ukuthi nginezindlela engingahamba ngazo, kodwa, kancane kancane, sengiqala ukufunda kabanzi mayelana nokongiwa kolwandle kanye nokuxhumana kwesayensi.

Ngiqonde endleleni lapho ngizithola sengihlanganisa ulwazi lwami lokuxhumana nokubhala nothando lwami lwezilwane zasolwandle nokongiwa kolwandle. Abantu abaningi, okungenzeka ukuthi nawe uqobo ufakiwe, bangase babuze ukuthi umuntu onjengami angaluthanda kanjani ulwandle kuyilapho ngingazange ngivezwe izici eziningi zempilo yasolwandle nemicimbi ehlukahlukene. Hhayi-ke, ngingakutshela ukuthi kanjani. Ngazithola sengifunda izincwadi nezindatshana ezikhuluma ngolwandle nezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle. Ngizithole sengicinga ku-inthanethi ngemicimbi yamanje nezinkinga ezibhekene nolwandle. Futhi ngizithole sengisebenzisa inkundla yezokuxhumana ukubuyisa ulwazi oluvela ezinhlanganweni ezingenzi inzuzo zokongiwa kolwandle, njenge-The Ocean Foundation, nezinhlangano zikahulumeni, njenge-NOAA. Angikwazanga ukufinyelela olwandle olungokoqobo ngakho ngafunda ngalo ngezinsiza ezifinyelelekayo (zonke ziyizibonelo zokuxhumana kwesayensi).

Ngemva kokuya kuProfessor we-Cornell Marine Biology mayelana nokukhathazeka kwami ​​​​okuhlanganisa ukubhala nokongiwa kolwandle, wangiqinisekisa ukuthi ikhona ngempela indawo yokuxhumana ngokongiwa kolwandle. Eqinisweni, wangitshela ukuthi idingeka kakhulu. Ukuzwa lokhu kwaqinisa isifiso sami sokugxila ekuxhumaneni ngokongiwa kolwandle. Nganginolwazi lokuxhumana nokubhala ngaphansi kwebhande lami, kodwa ngangazi ukuthi ngidinga ulwazi lwangempela lwebhayoloji yasolwandle. Ngakho, ngapakisha izikhwama zami ngaqonda eGulf of Maine.

I-Appledore Island yayingafani nanoma yisiphi isiqhingi engake ngaya kuso ngaphambili. Ngaphandle, izinsiza zayo ezimbalwa zazibukeka zingathuthukisiwe futhi zilula. Nokho, lapho usuqonda ukujula kobuchwepheshe ukuze uzuze isiqhingi esizinzile, ubungeke ucabange ukuthi kulula kangaka. Ngokusebenzisa amandla aphehlwa umoya, ilanga, nodizili, abakwaShoals bakhiqiza owabo ugesi. Ukulandela ithrekhi endleleni yokuphila eqhubekayo, amasistimu okuhlanza amanzi angcolile, ukusatshalaliswa kwamanzi anosawoti kanye ne-SCUBA compressor iyagcinwa.

Ukuphila okuzinzile akukona kuphela okuhlanganisa namaShoals. Eqinisweni, ngicabanga ukuthi amakilasi anokwengeziwe angakunikeza. Ngibambe iqhaza ekilasini le-Introduction to Marine Mammal Biology efundiswa uDkt. Nadine Lysiak wase- Isikhungo se-Woods Hole Oceanographic. Ikilasi lalihlose ukufundisa abafundi ngesayensi yezinto eziphilayo zezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle, ligxile emikhomo nezimvu zamanzi eGulf of Maine. Ngosuku lokuqala, ikilasi lonke labamba iqhaza ocwaningweni lokuqapha izimpawu ze-grey kanye netheku. Sikwazile ukubala inala kanye nezithombe ze-ID yezimpawu zomuntu ngamunye ngemva kokuthatha izithombe zezindawo zokuthutha zekoloni. Ngemva kwalokhu okuhlangenwe nakho, ngaba nethemba elikhulu kakhulu kulo lonke ikilasi; futhi angizange ngidumale.

Ekilasini (yebo, besingekho ngaphandle sibukele izimvula zamanzi usuku lonke), sikhulume ngezihloko eziningi ezihlanganisa i-taxonomy kanye nokuhlukahluka kwezinhlobo zezilwane, ukujwayela kokuphila kolwandle, i-ecology yokudla nokuziphatha, imijikelezo yokuzala, i-bioacoustics, ukusebenzisana kwe-anthropogenic, nokuphathwa kwezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle ezisengozini.

Ngafunda okungaphezu kwalokho engangikulindele ngezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle kanye ne-Isles of Shoals. Savakashela Isiqhingi saseSmuttynose, futhi washiya nezindaba ezinhle mayelana nokubulawa kwezigcwelegcwele zezilwane okwenzeka esiqhingini esikhathini esingeside esidlule. Ngakusasa senza umsebenzi wokugcwalisa i-harp seal necropsy. Futhi nakuba izinyoni zingezona izilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle, ngafunda okungaphezu kwalokho engangikuthembile ngama-gull, njengoba kwakunonina abaningi abavikelayo namatshwele axhwalile ayezulazula kulesi siqhingi. Isifundo esibaluleke kakhulu kwakuwukungasondeli kakhulu (ngafunda kanzima - ngangicasulwa izikhathi eziningi omama abanolaka, nabazivikela ngokweqile).

I-Shoals Marine Laboratory yanginika ithuba elimangalisayo lokufunda ulwandle nezilwane zasolwandle ezimangalisayo ezilubiza ngokuthi ikhaya. Ukuhlala e-Appledore amasonto amabili kwavula amehlo ami endleleni entsha yokuphila, egqugquzelwa uthando lokwenza ngcono ulwandle nendawo ezungezile. Ngenkathi ngise-Appledore, ngikwazile ukuthola ucwaningo lwangempela nolwazi lwangempela lwensimu. Ngafunda imininingwane eminingi ngezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle kanye ne-Isles of Shoals futhi ngabuka umhlaba wasolwandle, kodwa futhi ngaqhubeka ngicabanga emuva ezimpandeni zami zokuxhumana. Manje u-Shoals unginikeze ithemba elikhulu lokuthi ezokuxhumana nezinkundla zokuxhumana zingamathuluzi anamandla angasetshenziswa ukufinyelela umphakathi jikelele nokwenza ngcono ukuqonda komphakathi okukha phezulu kolwandle nezinkinga zalo.

Kuphephile ukusho ukuthi angishiyanga i-Appledore Island ngingenalutho. Ngashiya nginobuchopho obugcwele ulwazi mayelana nezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle, isiqinisekiso sokuthi ukuxhumana nesayensi yasolwandle kungahlanganiswa, futhi, kunjalo, i-gull droppings ehlombe lami (okungenani inhlanhla yayo!).