Ukuvikela Okubonwayo Nokungabonwa: Ulwandle lwaseSargasso

Umbhali: Mark J. Spalding

Umagazini wakamuva we-New Scientist ucaphune “ukuzala kwama-eels” njengenye yezinto ezingu-11 esizaziyo ukuthi zikhona, kodwa esingakaze sizibone ngokoqobo. Kuyiqiniso—imvelaphi kanye namaphethini amaningi okufuduka kwama-eels aseMelika naseYurophu awaziwa kakhulu kuze kube yilapho efika njengama-baby eel (elvers) emilonyeni yemifula esenyakatho njalo entwasahlobo. Iningi lomjikelezo wabo wempilo udlala phezu komkhathizwe wokubhekwa komuntu. Esikwaziyo ukuthi kulawa ma-eels, njengezinye izinhlobo eziningi zezilwane, uLwandle lwaseSargasso luyindawo ezidingayo ukuze zichume.

Kusukela ngoMashi 20 kuya zingama-22, iSargasso Sea Commission yahlangana eKey West, eFlorida e-NOAA Eco-Discovery Center lapho. Kungokokuqala ukuthi bonke oKhomishana babe ndawonye selokhu kwamenyezelwa okhomishana bakamuva (kuhlanganise nami) ngoSepthemba odlule.

Manje yini i- Sargasso Sea Commission? Yakhiwe yilokho okwaziwa ngokuthi “Isimemezelo Se-Hamilton” sangoMashi 2014, esasungula ukubaluleka kwemvelo nebhayoloji yoLwandle lwaseSargasso. Lesi Simemezelo siphinde sazwakalisa umbono wokuthi uLwandle lwaseSargasso ludinga ukubusa okukhethekile okugxile ekongiweni kwemvelo nakuba okuningi kwakho kungaphandle kwemingcele yanoma yisiphi isizwe.

I-Key West ibikumodi yekhefu lentwasahlobo egcwele, eyenzele abantu abahle ababukele njengoba sihamba siya emuva naphambili siya esikhungweni se-NOAA. Nokho, phakathi nemihlangano yethu, sasigxile kakhulu kulezi zinselele eziyinhloko kunasekusetshenzisweni kokuvikela ilanga nama-margarita.

1. Okokuqala, iSargasso Sea eyizigidi ezi-2 ayinalo ugu lokuchaza imingcele yalo (futhi ngaleyo ndlela ayinayo imiphakathi yasogwini engayivikela). Imephu yoLwandle ayifaki i-EEZ yaseBermuda (izwe eliseduze), futhi ngaleyo ndlela ingaphandle kwegunya lanoma yiliphi izwe kulokho esikubiza ngokuthi izilwandle eziphakeme.
2. Okwesibili, ngokuntula imingcele yasemhlabeni, uLwandle lwaseSargasso esikhundleni salokho luchazwa imisinga edala i-gyre, ngaphakathi lapho ukuphila kolwandle kuchichima ngaphansi komata be-sargassum entantayo. Ngeshwa, yona le gyre isiza ukubamba amapulasitiki nokunye ukungcola okulimaza izimbongolo, izinhlanzi, izimfudu, izinkalankala nezinye izilwane ezihlala lapho.
3. Okwesithathu, uLwandle aluqondwa kahle kakhulu, ngokombono wokubusa noma ngokombono wesayensi, futhi alwaziwa kahle ngokubaluleka kwalo ezimbonini zokudoba nezinye izinkonzo zasolwandle ezikude.

I-ajenda yeKhomishana yalo mhlangano bekuwukubuyekeza okufeziwe yiHhovisi likaNobhala weKhomishana, ukuzwa olunye ucwaningo lwakamuva mayelana noLwandle iSargasso, nokubeka izinto ezibalulekile onyakeni ozayo.

Umhlangano uqale ngesethulo sephrojekthi yemephu ebizwa ngokuthi COVERAGE (CONVERAGE is CEOS (Committee on Earth Observation Satellites) Ocean Vkuyatholakala Aukuhlela Rcinga futhi Aisicelo se GI-EO (Group on Earth Observations) eyahlanganiswa yi-NASA kanye neJet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL CalTech). I-COVERAGE ihloselwe ukuhlanganisa konke ukubonwa kwesathelayithi okuhlanganisa umoya, imisinga, izinga lokushisa lolwandle nosawoti, i-chlorophyll, umbala njll. futhi idale ithuluzi lokubuka ngeso lokuqapha izimo oLwandle lwaseSargasso njengomshayeli wendiza womzamo womhlaba wonke. Isixhumi esibonakalayo sibonakala sisebenziseka kalula futhi sizotholakala kithi kuKhomishani ukuze sihlole ukushayela cishe ezinyangeni ezi-3. Ososayensi be-NASA kanye ne-JPL bebefuna iseluleko sethu mayelana namasethi edatha esingathanda ukuwabona futhi sikwazi ukumbondela ngolwazi oseluvele lutholakala ekuhlolweni kwesathelayithi ye-NASA. Izibonelo zazihlanganisa ukulandelwa komkhumbi kanye nokulandelelwa kwezilwane ezimakiwe. Imboni yezokudoba, imboni kawoyela negesi, kanye nomnyango wezokuvikela sebevele banawo amathuluzi anjalo okubasiza ukuthi bafeze izinjongo zabo, ngakho leli thuluzi elisha elabenzi bezinqubomgomo, kanye nabaphathi bemithombo yemvelo.

Ikhomishana kanye nososayensi be-NASA/JPL babe sebehlukana baba imihlangano ngasikhathi sinye futhi ngakolunye uhlangothi, saqala ngokuvuma izinjongo zeKhomishana yethu:

• ukuqashelwa okuqhubekayo kokubaluleka kwemvelo nemvelo koLwandle iSargasso;
• ukukhuthazwa kocwaningo lwesayensi ukuze uqonde kangcono uLwandle lwaseSargasso; futhi
• ukuthuthukisa iziphakamiso zokuhambisa ezinhlanganweni zamazwe ngamazwe, zesifunda kanye nezingaphansi kwesifunda ukuze kuqhutshekwe nezinhloso zeSimemezelo se-Hamilton

Sibe sesibuyekeza isimo sezingcezu ezahlukahlukene zohlelo lwethu lomsebenzi, okuhlanganisa:

• ukubaluleka kwemvelo kanye nemisebenzi ebalulekile
• imisebenzi yezokudoba phambi kweKhomishini Yamazwe Ngamazwe Yokugcinwa Kwezinhlanzi zase-Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) kanye ne-Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
• imisebenzi yemikhumbi, kuhlanganise naleyo ephambi kwe-International Maritime Organization
• izintambo ezingaphansi kolwandle kanye nemisebenzi yezimayini engaphansi kolwandle, okuhlanganisa naleyo ephambi kwe-International Seabed Authority
• amasu okulawula izinhlobo zezilwane ezifudukayo, okuhlanganisa nalawo aphambi kweNgqungquthela Yezilwane Ezifudukayo kanye Nesivumelwano Sohwebo Lwezilwane Ezisengozini
• futhi ekugcineni indima yokuphathwa kwedatha nolwazi, nokuthi kwakuzohlanganiswa kanjani ezinhlelweni zokuphatha

IKhomishana icubungule izihloko ezintsha, ezihlanganisa ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki kanye nemfucumfucu yasolwandle endaweni yokujiya echaza uLwandle lwaseSargasso; kanye neqhaza lamandla okushintsha amasistimu olwandle angase athinte indlela ye-Gulf Current kanye neminye imisinga emikhulu eyenza i-Sargasso Sea.

I-Sea Education Association (WHOI) inenani leminyaka yedatha evela emigodini yokuqoqa futhi ihlole ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki oLwandle lwaseSargasso. Ukuhlola kokuqala kubonisa ukuthi ingxenye enkulu yale mfucumfucu kungenzeka ivela emikhunjini futhi ihlanganisa ukwehluleka ukuhambisana ne-MARPOL (I-International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) kunemithombo esemhlabeni yokungcola olwandle.

Njenge-EBSA (Indawo Yasolwandle Ebaluleke Kakhulu Ngokwemvelo noma Ngokwebhayoloji), uLwandle iSargasso kufanele luthathwe njengendawo yokuhlala ebalulekile yezinhlobo zezinhlanzi ezihlala emanzini (okuhlanganisa nezinsiza zokudoba). Sinalokhu engqondweni, sixoxe ngomongo wezinhloso zethu nohlelo lokusebenza ngokuphathelene neSinqumo Se-UN General Assembly sokuphishekela umhlangano omusha ogxile ezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo ezingaphezu kwamandla kazwelonke (ukongiwa nokusetshenziswa okuqhubekayo kwezilwandle). Engxenyeni yengxoxo yethu, siphakamise imibuzo mayelana nokungqubuzana okungaba khona phakathi kwamakhomishana, uma kwenzeka Ikhomishana Yasolwandle YaseSargasso ibeka isilinganiso sokulondoloza imvelo isebenzisa isimiso sokuqapha futhi esisekelwe emikhubeni engcono kakhulu enolwazi lwesayensi yokwenza oLwandle. Kunenqwaba yezikhungo ezibhekele izingxenye ezahlukahlukene zolwandle oluphakeme, futhi lezi zikhungo zigxile kakhulu futhi kungenzeka ukuthi azibheki ngokuphelele ulwandle oluphezulu, noma ikakhulukazi uLwandle iSargasso.

Ngesikhathi thina kwikhomishini siphinde sihlangana nososayensi, savumelana ngokuthi ukugxila okukhulu ekuqhubekeni nokusebenzisana kuhlanganisa ukuxhumana kwemikhumbi kanye ne-sargassum, ukuziphatha kwezilwane kanye nokusetshenziswa koLwandle iSargasso, kanye nokuklanywa kokudoba okuhlobene ne-physical and chemical oceanography Ulwandle. Siphinde sazwakalisa intshisekelo enkulu kumapulasitiki kanye nemfucumfucu yasolwandle, kanye nendima yoLwandle lwaseSargasso emijikelezweni yamanzi ye-hydrological kanye nesimo sezulu.

Ngizizwa ngihloniphekile ngokusebenza kule khomishini nabantu abacabanga kanje. Futhi ngabelana ngombono kaDkt. Sylvia Earle wokuthi uLwandle lwaseSargasso lungavikelwa, kufanele luvikelwe, futhi luzovikelwa. Esikudingayo wuhlaka lomhlaba wonke lwezindawo zokuvikela olwandle ezingxenyeni zolwandle ezingaphezu kwamandla kazwelonke. Lokhu kudinga ukubambisana ekusetshenzisweni kwalezi zindawo, ukuze sinciphise umthelela futhi siqinisekise ukuthi lezi zinsiza zokwethenjwa zomphakathi okungezaso sonke isintu zabiwa ngokulinganayo. Ama-eels amancane kanye nezimfudu zasolwandle kuncike kukho. Nathi ngokunjalo.