Conserving our spectacular, vulnerable coral reefs - Joshua Drew

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

翻译人员: Minji Seo 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

Coral reefs are some of the most spectacular ecosystems

珊瑚礁是世界上

最壮丽的生态系统之一；

on the planet.

同时也是最脆弱的。

They're also some of the most vulnerable.

我们该如何保护珊瑚礁

But how can we protect the reefs

and the animals and plants who rely on them?

和与之相依的动植物呢？

又如何能让保护区

And how can we make sure

our protected areas aren't hurting those who use reefs to survive?

不会影响当地人的生存？

这些对于现今的

These are some of the big questions

海洋保育生物学家而言， 都是不容忽视的问题。

facing marine conservation biologists today.

我们用斐济举个例子。

Let's take Fiji, for example.

Fiji is series of islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

斐济包含南太平洋上的一系列小岛。

为了均衡保育和经济发展，

To help balance the need for conservation and making a living,

scientists had suggested that instead of one big park

科学家建议，与其在珊瑚礁区

which provides a lot of coverage for one reef system

设立一个幅员辽阔的国家公园，

while leaving the rest unprotected,

而让其他地方失去保障，

a better way is to create a system of protected areas

不如在整个珊瑚礁区

设立一系列如珍珠般的小保留区。

nested together like pearls on a string.

This idea is called connectivity.

这个概念称之为“连接性”保护。

In this way, scientists can protect lots of different habitats

这让科学家可以保障许多不同的栖息地，

while not excluding people from their traditional fishing grounds.

又不会让人民失去传统渔场，

Now, the only way this string-of-pearls kind of reserve network is going to work

要使如珍珠项链般的 保护网顺利运作，

保留区间必须彼此联系。

is if each park is connected to other parks.

There are two main benefits to this.

这会带来两个好处。

First of all, insurance.

第一是保险。

If something bad happens to one park,

如果其中一区发生不幸事件，

say, an oil spill or coral bleaching,

例如，漏油

或是珊瑚白化，

then because that park is part of a system,

但介于它只是整个系统中的一部分，

it can be reseeded from other parks that escaped the event.

所以仍然借由通过其他完好的保留区 得到修复。

The second benefit is representation.

另外一个优点则是代表性。

By conserving many different areas,

通过保护不同的地区，

scientists ensure that lots of different habitats get protected.

科学家能保全不同的栖息地。

This way, they can make sure all the different marine habitats in Fiji,

借此，他们可以确保 斐济所有的海洋栖地，

例如，珊瑚礁、

such as coral reefs, mangroves, and sea-grass beds,

红树林、

和海底海藻森林，

都能受到保护。

are all represented.

This way, we don't unduly settle any particular village or group of people

如此，就不需要因为限制捕鱼

带给特定村庄或人民

with the economic burden of having their fishing grounds off-limits.

经济上的任何负担。

By sharing the cost around the communities,

平均分担保育代价，

they can also share the benefits.

也可以让他们共享由此带来的利益。

所以，如果我们同意 把一个巨大的保留区

So if we agree that rather than one big park,

用许多大小不同的保留区取代，

we should have lots of parks

of different sizes and covering different habitats,

以保全不同栖地，

科学家必须确定

then scientists need to make sure those smaller parks are connected,

这些小保留区能够彼此交流，

如果不能，

because if they're not, they probably won't be self-sustaining.

它们就可能无法自给自足。

But how do we know that?

但我们又如何确认这一点呢？

That's where genetics and DNA come in.

这就要依赖遗传学和 DNA 研究。

By looking at how closely related

研究斐济各小保留区中

the fish in each one of these small reserves in Fiji

鱼类基因接近的程度，

are to each other,

scientists can figure out

科学家可以了解它们

how much migration is going on among the reserves within the system.

在不同保留区间交流的程度如何。

观察多样化的物种也是很重要的，

Now it's important to look at a variety of different species

because there's no guarantee that what's going on with these guys

因为无法确保

不同的物种共享

同样的生存环境。

is what's going on with these guys.

但仔细观察大量的物种，

But if we look closely and at enough species,

we can see whether or not the necklace is working.

我们就能确定这个新的策略是否成功。

目前为止，科学家已经知道

What scientists have found so far is that, in general,

在斐济的小保留区之间

there's a fair amount of connectivity amongst the parks within Fiji.

有一定程度的交流。

But it's not just a big free-for-all;

但交流不一定轻松，

rather, it seems that, for some species,

事实上对有些物种而言，

出生于西部的鱼苗需要历经千辛万苦

babies born in the far west are having a hard time

making it to the islands in the far east.

才能抵达东部的岛屿。

To help deal with that, conservation biologists are suggesting

为应付这种情况，

保育生物学家建议

that there be enough parks in both the east and the west

在东西两边都建立足够的小保留区，

以确保族群健全。

to keep the populations healthy.

This isn't just in Fiji, either.

并不是针对斐济岛，

Lessons about reserve connectivity can help across the world.

这份保育连通性的经验可以 借鉴给全世界各地区，

In places like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea

像是印度尼西亚、

巴布亚新几内亚

和巴哈马。

and the Bahamas,

scientists are using a variety of tools to help understand

科学家利用不同的工具

帮助我们了解不同的保留区

how individual parks can function together,

如何一起达到保育目的，

so that their sum is greater than their whole.

以达到一加一大于二的效果。

And this way, we can keep the beautiful necklace

这样我们就能用 珍珠链般的保留区网络，

保护珊瑚礁生态系的完整。

that is our coral reefs, intact.