Ubukhazikhazi be-Seagrass

UJessie Neumann, Umsizi Wezokuxhumana we-TOF

Utshani basolwandle. Wake wezwa ngakho?

Sikhuluma ngotshani basolwandle kakhulu lapha e-The Ocean Foundation. Kodwa liyini ngempela futhi kungani libaluleke kangaka?

Utshani basolwandle yizitshalo eziqhakazayo ezikhula emanzini angashoni ngasogwini nasemachibini. Cabanga ngotshani bakho obungaphambili… kodwa ngaphansi kwamanzi. Lezi zimfunda zidlala indima enkulu ezinsizakalweni ze-ecosystem, ukutholwa kwekhabhoni kanye nokuqina kogu. Angase angabi naso isimo sodumo samakhorali, kodwa abaluleke ngokulinganayo futhi asengozini ngokulinganayo.

Yini Ekhethekile Kakhulu nge-Seagrass?
Zibaluleke kakhulu empilweni yasolwandle, impilo yasolwandle kanye nemiphakathi yasogwini. Isitshalo esikhula kancane sisebenza njengenkulisa yezinhlanzi ezisakhula, sihlinzeka ngokudla nendawo yokufihla ikhanda kuze kube yilapho sezilungele ukufuduka, ngokuvamile ziye kumakhorali aseduze. Ihektare elilodwa lotshani basolwandle bondla izinhlanzi ezingu-40,000 kanye nezilwane ezingenamgogodla eziyizigidi ezingu-50. Manje leyo indawo egcwele abantu. Utshani basolwandle bubuye bube yisisekelo sezintambo eziningi zokudla. Ezinye zezilwane zethu ezizithandayo zasolwandle zithanda ukudla utshani basolwandle, okuhlanganisa nezimfudu zasolwandle ezisengozini yokushabalala nama-manatee okuwumthombo wawo wokudla oyinhloko.

Utshani basolwandle bubalulekile empilweni yolwandle lulonke futhi luyingxenye ebalulekile yesixazululo sokushintsha kwesimo sezulu. Lesi sitshalo esihlaba umxhwele singagcina ikhabhoni ephindwe kabili kunehlathi elisemhlabeni. Ukuzwile lokho? Okuphindwe kabili! Nakuba ukutshala izihlahla kuyisinyathelo esiqonde endleleni efanele, ukubuyisela kanye nokutshala utshani basolwandle kuyindlela ephumelela kakhulu yokukhipha ikhabhoni kanye nokunciphisa imiphumela ye-acidification yolwandle. Ubuzelani? Nokho, kunomoya-mpilo omncane enhlabathini emanzi, ngakho-ke ukubola kwezitshalo zemvelo kuhamba kancane futhi ikhabhoni ihlala ibambekile futhi injalo isikhathi eside. Utshani basolwandle buthatha ngaphansi kuka-0.2% wezilwandle zomhlaba, nokho bunesibopho sekhabhoni engaphezu kuka-10% egqitshwa olwandle minyaka yonke.

Emiphakathini yendawo, utshani basolwandle bubalulekile ekuqineni kogu. Izimfunda ezingaphansi kwamanzi zihlunga ukungcola emanzini futhi zinikeze isivikelo ekugugulekeni kosebe lolwandle, ukuhlasela kweziphepho kanye nokukhuphuka kwamazinga olwandle. Utshani basolwandle bubalulekile hhayi nje kuphela empilweni yemvelo yolwandle, kodwa nempilo yezomnotho yezifunda ezisogwini. Banikeza indawo evundile yokudoba ngenjongo yokuzilibazisa futhi bakhuthaze imisebenzi yezivakashi, efana ne-snorkeling kanye ne-diving. EFlorida, lapho kuchuma khona utshani basolwandle, kulinganiselwa ukuthi kunenani lezomnotho lama- $ 20,500 ihektare ngalinye kanye nenzuzo yezomnotho yezwe lonke yama- $ 55.4 wezigidigidi ngonyaka.

Izinsongo ku-Seagrass

Usongo olukhulu otshanini basolwandle yithi. Kokubili imisebenzi emikhulu nencane yabantu, kusukela ekungcolisweni kwamanzi kanye nokufudumala komhlaba kuya ezibazini zophephela kanye nokuphansi kwezikebhe, kusongela izimfunda zasolwandle. Izibazi ze-Prop, umphumela we-propeller ephendukayo njengoba isikebhe sihamba phezu kosebe olungajulile sisika izimpande zezitshalo, ziyingozi kakhulu njengoba izibazi zivame ukukhula zibe imigwaqo. Ama-bloomholes akhiwa lapho umkhumbi uba phansi futhi uzama ukucisha utshani basolwandle obungashoni. Lezi zinqubo, nakuba zivamile emanzini asogwini lwase-US, kulula kakhulu ukuzinqanda ngokufinyelela emphakathini kanye nemfundo yemikhumbi.

Ukubuyiswa kotshani basolwandle obunezibazi kungathatha iminyaka eyi-10 ngoba uma utshani basolwandle bususiwe, ukuguguleka kwendawo ezungezile kuseduze. Futhi nakuba izindlela zokubuyisela ziye zaba ngcono kule minyaka eyishumi edlule, kusenzima futhi kubiza ukubuyisela imibhede yotshani basolwandle. Cabanga ngawo wonke umsebenzi owenziwayo ekutshaleni umbhede wezimbali, bese ucabanga ukwenza ngaphansi kwamanzi, ngegiya le-SCUBA, phezu kwamahektare amaningi. Yingakho iphrojekthi yethu, i-SeaGrass Grow ikhetheke kakhulu. Sesinazo izindlela zokubuyisela utshani basolwandle.

I-Seagrass iyakudinga! Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uhlala ogwini noma cha ungasiza.

1. Funda kabanzi mayelana ne-seagrass. Thatha umndeni wakho uye ogwini kanye ne-snorkel ezindaweni ezisogwini! Izingosi eziningi zifinyeleleka kalula emapaki omphakathi.
2. Yiba isikebhe esinesibopho. Ukwehliswa kwe-Prop-dredging kanye nezibazi zotshani basolwandle kuwumthelela ongadingekile ezinsizeni zemvelo ongakwazi ukuzilawula. Funda amashadi akho. Funda amanzi. Yazi ukujula nokusalungiswa kwakho.
3. Yehlisa ukungcoliswa kwamanzi. Gcina isivikelo sezitshalo ngasogwini lwakho ukuze uvimbele ukungcola kungangeni emigwaqweni yethu yamanzi. Lokhu kuzosiza futhi ukuvikela indawo yakho ekugugulekeni nasemanzini ezikhukhula kancane phakathi neziphepho.
4. Sabalalisa izwi. Zibandakanye nezinhlangano zendawo ezikhuthaza ukuvikelwa kwemvelo kanye nokufundisa ngotshani basolwandle.
5. Nikela enhlanganweni, efana ne-TOF, enezindlela zokubuyisela utshani basolwandle.

Okwenziwe yi-Ocean Foundation ngotshani basolwandle:

1. I-SeaGrass Khula – Iphrojekthi yethu ye-SeaGrass Grow isekela ukubuyiswa kotshani basolwandle ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene zokubuyisela ezihlanganisa ukusimamisa intlenga engahlanganisiwe kanye nokutshala utshani basolwandle kabusha. Nikela namuhla!
2. Ukuxhumana nomphakathi kanye nokuzibandakanya – Sibona lokhu kubalulekile ukuze kwehliswe imikhuba eyingozi yokugibela izikebhe nokusabalalisa igama ngokubaluleka kotshani basolwandle. Sithumele isiphakamiso ku-NOAA sokuhola uhlelo lwe-Puerto Rico Seagrass Habitat Education and Restoration. Lokhu kwakuhlanganisa nokuqalisa uhlelo lweminyaka emibili lokongiwa kwemvelo nokuvikela oluzobhekana nezimbangela zokucekelwa phansi kwendawo yokuhlala otshanini basolwandle ezindaweni ezimbili okuhloswe ngazo ePuerto Rico.
3. I-Blue Carbon Calculator - Senze isibali sekhabhoni sokuqala esiluhlaza ngephrojekthi yethu i-SeaGrass Grow. Bala i-carbon footprint yakho, bese uyisusa ngokutshala utshani basolwandle.

Izithombe zihlonishwa nguJeff Beggins noBeau Williams