I-Winter Surf

Okulandelayo ibhulogi yezivakashi ebhalwe nguCatharine Cooper, Ilungu Lebhodi Le-TOF Lomeluleki. Ukuze ufunde i-bio ephelele kaCatharine, vakashela yethu Ikhasi lebhodi lomeluleki.

Ukuntweza ebusika.
I-Dawn Patrol.
Izinga lokushisa lomoya - 48 °. Izinga lokushisa lolwandle - 56 °.

Ngifeketha ngokushesha ku-wetsuit yami, umoya obandayo uqeda ukufudumala emzimbeni wami. Ngidonsa amabhuzu, ngehlise okungaphansi kwe-wetsuit phezu kwezinyawo zami ezimboziwe manje ze-neoprene, ngengeza i-wax ebhodini lami elide, bese ngihlala ukuze ngihlaziye ukukhukhumala. Kanjani futhi kuphi inani eliphakeme lishintshe. Isikhathi phakathi kwamasethi. I-paddle out zone. Imisinga, ama-riptides, isiqondiso somoya. Namuhla ekuseni, kusebusika entshonalanga.

Abatshuzi banaka kakhulu ulwandle. Kuyikhaya labo elikude nomhlaba, futhi ngokuvamile lizizwa liphansi kunezinye izindawo. Kukhona i-Zen yokuxhunywa kumagagasi, amandla awuketshezi aqhutshwa umoya, osehambe amakhulu amakhilomitha ukuze afike ogwini. Iqhubu elicwebezelayo, ubuso obucwebezelayo, ukushaya kwenhliziyo okushayisa udonga noma okungashoni futhi kuqhubekela phezulu naphambili njengamandla aphahlazekayo emvelo.

Njengoba manje ngibukeka njengophawu kunomuntu, ngingena ngokucophelela emnyango onamatshe wekhefu lasekhaya, iSan Onofre. Idlanzana labatshuzi lingishaye laze lafika lapho, lapho amagagasi ephuka kokubili kwesokunxele nakwesokudla. Ngingena kalula emanzini abandayo, ngivumele ukugodola kwehle emhlane wami njengoba ngicwilisa oketshezini olunosawoti. Kumnandi olimini lwami lapho ngikhotha amaconsi ezindebeni zami. Imnandi njengekhaya. Ngigingqika ebhodini lami ngigwedle ngibheke ngesikhathi sokuphumula, kuyilapho ngemva kwami, isibhakabhaka siqoqana sibe ngamabhande apinki njengoba ilanga lishoza kancane phezu kwezintaba zase-Santa Margarita.

Amanzi acwebile futhi ngiyawabona amadwala nemibhede ye-kelp ngaphansi kwami. Izinhlanzi ezimbalwa. Abekho oshaka abacasha kuleli qembu labo. Ngizama ukuziba ama-reactors azayo e-San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant ephethe ulwandle olunesihlabathi. Lezi 'zingono' ezimbili, njengoba zibizwa kanjalo ngokothando, manje ezivaliwe futhi ezisaqhubeka nokuyekiswa ukusebenza, zimi njengesikhumbuzo esiqinile sezingozi ezingokwemvelo zale ndawo yokuntweza emanzini.

Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule, uphondo oluyisixwayiso esiphuthumayo lwakhala ngokuqhubekayo imizuzu engu-15, kungekho myalezo womphakathi wokudambisa ukwesaba kwalabo bethu emanzini. Ekugcineni, sanquma, yini heck? Uma lokhu bekuyingozi yokuncibilika noma ekhipha imisebe, besivele sihamba, ngakho-ke kunganjani nje ujabulele amagagasi asekuseni. Ekugcineni sawuthola umyalezo “wokuhlola”, kodwa sase sihoxile kakade ukuze sidalwe.

Siyazi ukuthi ulwandle lusenkingeni. Kunzima ukuvula ikhasi ngaphandle kwesithombe sikadoti, ipulasitiki, noma ukuchitheka kukawoyela kwakamuva okugcwala ugu nazo zonke iziqhingi. Ukulambela kwethu amandla, kokubili enuzi kanye nalawo avela kumafutha ezinto ezimbiwa phansi, sekudlulele endaweni lapho singawuziba khona umonakalo esiwudalayo. “Iphuzu lokusikisela.” Kunzima ukuwagwinya lawo mazwi njengoba sisondela onqenqemeni loshintsho singenalo ithuba lokululama.

Yithi. Thina bantu. Ngaphandle kokuba khona kwethu, ulwandle beluyoqhubeka lusebenza njengoba lwenza ezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka. Ukuphila kwasolwandle kwakuyosakazeka. Izitezi zasolwandle zaziphakama futhi ziwe. Uchungechunge lwemvelo lwemithombo yokudla lwaluzoqhubeka nokuzisekela. I-Kelp namakhorali bekuzochuma.

Ulwandle lusikhathalele - yebo, lwasinakekela - ngokuqhubeka nokusebenzisa kwethu izinsiza ngokungaboni kanye nemiphumela engemihle elandelayo. Nakuba kade sisavutha ngenxa yezinto zokubasa ezimbiwa phansi, sikhulisa umthamo wekhabhoni emkhathini wethu ontekenteke futhi oyingqayizivele, ulwandle belulokhu lumunca ngokukhulu ukweqisa ngangokunokwenzeka. Umphumela? Umphumela omncane omubi obizwa nge-Ocean Acidification (OA).

Lokhu kuncipha kwe-pH yamanzi kwenzeka lapho i-carbon dioxide, emuncwa emoyeni, ihlangana namanzi olwandle. Ishintsha amakhemikhali futhi yehlise inala yama-carbon ion, okwenza kube nzima kakhulu ukubala izinto eziphilayo ezifana ne-oyster, clams, urchin zasolwandle, amakhorali amanzi angashoni, amakhorali olwandle ajulile, kanye ne-calcareous plankton ukwakha nokugcina amagobolondo. Ikhono lezinhlanzi ezithile lokubona izilwane ezidla ezinye liyehla futhi ekukhuphukeni kwe-asidi, okubeka yonke iwebhu yokudla engozini.

Ucwaningo lwakamuva luthole ukuthi amanzi asuka e-California enza i-acidity ephindwe kabili kunezinye izindawo emhlabeni, asongela izindawo zokudoba ezibucayi ngasogwini lwethu. Imisinga yasolwandle lapha ijwayele ukuzungeza amanzi abandayo, ane-acid eningi ukusuka ekujuleni kolwandle ukuya phezulu, inqubo eyaziwa ngokuthi i-upwelling. Ngenxa yalokho, amanzi aseCalifornia ayesevele ene-acidic kunezinye izindawo eziningi zolwandle ngaphambi kwe-spike ku-OA. Uma ngibheka phansi i-kelp nenhlanzi encane, angiziboni izinguquko emanzini, kodwa ucwaningo lusaqhubeka lufakazela ukuthi engingakwazi ukukubona kudala umonakalo empilweni yasolwandle.

Kuleli sonto, i-NOAA ikhiphe umbiko oveza ukuthi i-OA manje isithinta ngokulinganayo amagobolondo nezitho zezinzwa ze-Dungeness Crab. Le crustacean eyigugu ingenye yezindawo zokudoba ezibaluleke kakhulu oGwini oluseNtshonalanga, futhi ukushabalala kwayo kuzodala isiphithiphithi sezezimali embonini. Kakade, amapulazi ama-oyster esifundazweni sase-Washington, kudingeke ukuthi alungise ukutshala kwemibhede yawo ukuze agweme ukugxila okuphezulu kwe-CO2.

I-OA, exutshwe nezinga lokushisa lolwandle elikhuphukayo ngenxa yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, iphakamisa imibuzo yangempela yokuthi izinto eziphilayo zasolwandle zizophila kanjani ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Iminotho eminingi incike ezinhlanzi nezimbaza, futhi kunabantu emhlabeni wonke abathembele ekudleni okuvela olwandle njengomthombo oyinhloko wamaprotheni.

Ngifisa sengathi ngingaziba amaqiniso, ngenze sengathi lolu lwandle oluhle engihlezi kulo lulungile 100%, kodwa ngiyazi ukuthi akulona iqiniso. Ngiyazi ukuthi kumele ngokubambisana siqoqe izinsiza namandla ethu ukuze sibambezele ukucekelwa phansi kwesithunzi esesikuzuzile. Kukithi ukuthi siguqule imikhuba yethu. Kukithi ukuthi sifune ukuthi abameleli bethu kanye nohulumeni wethu babhekane nezinsongo, futhi bathathe izinyathelo ngezinga elikhulu ukuze behlise ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni yethu futhi bayeke ukucekela phansi i-eco-system esisekela sonke.  

Ngigwedla ukuze ngibambe igagasi, ngisukume, futhi ngibheke ebusweni obuphukayo. Kuhle kakhulu kangangokuba inhliziyo yami yenza i-flip-flop kancane. Ingaphezulu licacile, licwebile, lihlanzekile. Angiyiboni i-OA, kodwa nami angikwazi ukuyiziba. Akekho phakathi kwethu ongakwazi ukwenza sengathi akwenzeki. Alukho olunye ulwandle.