West Coast, Best Coast? Hhayi eye-Starfish.

Ngu-Alex Kirby, Communications Intern, The Ocean Foundation

Isifo esiyinqaba sikhukhula ogwini oluseNtshonalanga, sishiya umkhondo we-starfish efile ngemuva.

Kusukela ngoJuni 2013, izindunduma zezinkanyezi zasolwandle ezishonile ezinemilenze evaliwe zingabonwa ngasogwini oluseNtshonalanga, ukusuka e-Alaska kuya eSouthern California. Lezi zinkanyezi zasolwandle, ezaziwa nangokuthi i-starfish, zifa ngezigidi futhi akekho owaziyo ukuthi kungani.

Isifo sokumoshakala kwezinkanyezi zasolwandle, ngokungangabazeki isifo esisakazeke kakhulu esake saqoshwa emvelweni yasolwandle, singaqeda izinkanyezi zasolwandle phakathi nezinsuku ezimbili nje. Izinkanyezi zasolwandle ziqala zibonise izimpawu zokuthintwa isifo esimosha inkanyezi yasolwandle ngokwenza izinto ezibuthakathaka - izingalo zabo ziqala ukugoqa futhi zenze ukukhathala. Bese izilonda ziqala ukuvela emakhwapheni kanye/noma phakathi kwezingalo. Izingalo ze-starfish zibe seziwa ngokuphelele, okuyimpendulo yokucindezeleka evamile ye-echinoderms. Kodwa-ke, ngemva kokuba izingalo eziningi seziwile, izicubu zomuntu zizoqala ukubola bese i-starfish izofa.

Abaphathi bamapaki e-Olympic National Park e-Washington State babe abantu bokuqala ukuthola ubufakazi balesi sifo ngo-2013. Ngemva kokubonwa okokuqala yilaba baphathi nososayensi bezisebenzi, abatshuzi bezokungcebeleka baqala ukuqaphela izimpawu zesifo esimosha inkanyezi yasolwandle. Lapho izimpawu ziqala ukwenzeka njalo ezinkanyezini zasolwandle ezisePacific Northwest, kwase kuyisikhathi sokwembula imfihlakalo yalesi sifo.

U-Ian Hewson, umsizi kaprofesa we-microbiology e-Cornell University, ungomunye wochwepheshe abambalwa abahlonyiselwe ukwenza umsebenzi wokuhlonza lesi sifo esingaziwa. Ngibe nenhlanhla yokuthi ngikwazi ukukhuluma noHewson, okumanje ucwaninga ngalesi sifo esimosha isihlabani sasolwandle. Ulwazi lukaHewson oluyingqayizivele lokuhlukahluka kwamagciwane kanye namagciwane abangela ukuba kube nguye kanye umuntu ongakhomba lesi sifo esiyinqaba esithinta izinhlobo ezingu-20 ze-starfish.

Ngemva kokuthola uxhaso lonyaka kuNational Science Foundation ngo-2013, uHewson ubesebenza nezikhungo eziyishumi nanhlanu, njengezikhungo zemfundo ephakeme ogwini oluseNtshonalanga, iVancouver Aquarium, kanye neMonterey Bay Aquarium, ukuze aqale ukucwaninga ngalesi sifo. Izindawo ezihlala emanzini zinikeze u-Hewson umkhondo wakhe wokuqala: lesi sifo sathinta izinhlanzi eziningi ezihlala emanzini eqoqweni lezinhlanzi zasemanzini.

“Kusobala ukuthi kukhona okuqhamuka ngaphandle,” kusho uHewson.

Izikhungo ezisoGwini oluseNtshonalanga zinesibopho sokuthola amasampula ezinkanyezi zasolwandle ezindaweni ezihlangana namagagasi. Amasampula abe esethunyelwa kulo lonke elase-United States elebhu ka-Hewson, esekhempasini yase-Cornell. Umsebenzi kaHewson ukube esethatha lawo masampuli bese ehlaziya i-DNA yezinkanyezi zasolwandle, amagciwane, nama-virus akuwo.

Kuze kube manje, u-Hewson uthole ubufakazi bokuhlangana kwe-microorganism ezicutshini zenkanyezi yasolwandle ezigulayo. Ngemva kokuthola ama-microorganisms ezicutshini, kwaba nzima ku-Hewson ukuhlukanisa ukuthi yimaphi ama-microorganisms empeleni abangela lesi sifo.

Hewson uthi, “into eyinkimbinkimbi iwukuthi, asiqiniseki ukuthi yini ebangela lesi sifo nokuthi yini emane idle izinkanyezi zasolwandle ngemva kokubola kwazo.”

Nakuba izinkanyezi zasolwandle zifa ngezinga elingakaze libonwe ngaphambili, u-Hewson wagcizelela ukuthi lesi sifo sithinta nezinye izinto eziphilayo eziningi, njengomthombo oyinhloko wokudla kwazo izinkanyezi zasolwandle, i-shellfish. Njengoba iningi lamalungu ezinkanyezi zasolwandle libulawa isifo esidliwa yi-sea star, kuzoba nenani eliphansi lezimbaza, okubangela ukwanda kwenani labantu. I-Shellfish ingase ibambe i-ecosystem, futhi iholele ekwehleni okukhulu kwezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo.

Noma ucwaningo lukaHewson lungakashicilelwa, wangitshela into eyodwa ebalulekile: “Esikutholile kuhle kakhulu futhi kungama-microorganisms. kukhona abathintekayo.”

Qiniseka ukuthi uyaphinda uhlole ibhulogi ye-Ocean Foundation maduzane ukuze uthole indaba ezolandelayo ngemva kokushicilelwa kocwaningo luka-Ian Hewson!