Attack of the killer algae - Eric Noel Muñoz

海藻杀手的袭击-Eric Noel Muñoz

翻译人员: Muxing Zhang 校对人员: Yuanqing Edberg

We've all seen the movies where a monster,

我们都在电影中看到过

由科学家在实验室创造出来的某个怪兽，

created by a scientist in a laboratory,

escapes to wreak havoc on the outside world.

出逃并蹂躏了我们的世界。

But what if the monster was not some giant rampaging beast,

但是，如果这个毁灭城市的生物不是 某些巨大狂暴的怪兽，

destroying a city, but just a tiny amount of seaweed

而仅仅是一小簇

with the potential to disrupt entire coastal ecosystems?

有着破坏整个沿海生态系统的能力的海藻呢？

This is the story of Caulerpa taxifolia,

这便是杉叶蕨藻的故事，

originally a naturally occurring seaweed

追溯其源，它来源于热带水域，

native to tropical waters.

是一种自然生长的原生海藻。

In the 1980s, one strain was found to thrive in colder environments.

在八十年代，发现了一簇生长在寒冷环境中的海藻。

This trait, combined with its beautiful, bright green color

他们还有着美丽的、亮绿色外表，

and ability to grow quickly without maintenance

并且无需养护，迅速生长

made it ideal for aquariums, which it helped keep clean

是水族箱中的理想的清道夫，

因为它们可以吸收水中的养料和一些化学物质，

by consuming nutrients and chemicals in the water.

Further selective breeding made it even heartier,

精选培育的品种就更贴心了。

and soon it was used in aquariums around the world.

很快，便广泛用于世界各地的水族馆中了。

But it was not long before a sample of this

但不久，

aquarium-developed super algae

在地中海区域

发现了这种为了适应水族馆 特别培育的超级海藻，

turned up in the Mediterranean Sea

near the famed Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

就在著名的摩纳哥海洋博物馆附近。

The marine biologist who found it believed that

发现海藻的海洋生物学家相信

the museum had accidentally realeased it into the ocean

这是海洋博物馆在倾倒水族箱中的水时

along with aquarium waters,

无意将海藻也一同倒入了海洋之中，

while museum directors claimed

然而博物馆负责人坚称

it had be carried into the area by ocean currents.

它们是随着洋流飘落到这里的。

Regardless of how it ended up there,

不究其源，

the non-native Caulerpa multiplied rapidly,

这种外来杉叶海藻迅速繁殖，

having no natural predators

没有自然天敌，

due to releasing a toxin that keeps fish away.

因为它们释放出一种毒素以驱赶鱼群

And like some mythical monster, even a tiny piece that broke off

像某种神秘怪兽，即使掉落的一小片海藻

could grow into a whole new colony.

都能长成一个新的完整海藻群落

Through water currents and contact with boat anchors and fishing lines,

通过水流作用，或者携挂在船锚和钓鱼线上，

it fragmented and spread throughout Mediterranean coastal cities

海藻在整个地中海海岸城市传播生长开来。

covering coral reefs.

覆盖在珊瑚礁上。

So what was the result of this invasion?

这样的入侵，会导致怎样的结果呢？

Well, it depends on who you ask.

这取决于对于谁人而言。

Many scientists warned that the spread of Caulerpa

很多科学家警告说，杉叶海藻的蔓延

reduces biodiversity by crowding out native species of seaweed

会侵占本地海草物种的生存地， 导致生物多样性锐减，

而本地海草是鱼类的食物。

that are eaten by fish,

with the biologist who first discovered its presence dubbing it

因此最先发现海藻存在的 生物学家称呼它们为

Killer Algae.

海藻杀手

Other studies instead claim

另一些研究却声称

that the algae actually had a beneficial effect

这些海藻实际上是有益的

by consuming chemical pollutants --

它们能吸收一些化学污染物－－

one reason the aquariums strain was developed.

正是如此，才培育了水族馆专用海藻。

But the disruption of a natural ecosystem

但是通过引入外来物种

by an introduced foreign species

对自然生态系统的破坏

can have unpredictable and uncontrollable effects

有着不可预见，亦不可控制的结果，

that may not be immediately visible.

也许在短期内无法察觉到这些破坏。

So when Culerpa taxifolia was discovered

所以在2000年，杉叶海藻被发现

at Carlsbad's Agua Hedionda Lagoon,

出现在圣地亚哥附近的

near San Diego in the year 2000,

卡尔斯巴德的黑迪翁达礁湖中，

having most likely come from the dumping

它们可能是，家庭水族箱在倾倒废水时

of home aquarium water into a connecting storm drain,

通过连接的排水管道传播的，

it was decided to stop it before it spread.

人们决定采取措施控制其蔓延。

Tarps were placed over the Culerpa colonies

防水布被铺放在海藻群上

and chlorine injected inside.

并注入了氯气

Although this method killed

虽然这项举措

all other marine life trapped under the tarps,

杀死了所有防水布之下的海洋生物，

it did succeed in eradicating the algae

但是，根除海藻行动的确成功了

and native eelgrass was able to emerge in its place.

而且使得本地的鳗草在此地生存。

By responding quickly, authorities in California

加州当局反应迅速，

were able to prevent Culerpa from propagating.

海藻的疯长得以控制。

But another occurrence of the strain,

但是海藻的另一股势力

in the coastal wetlands of southeast Australia,

在澳洲西南部的海岸湿地处

was left unchecked and allowed to spread.

迅速蔓延，无法控制。

And unfortunately, a tarp cannot cover the Mediterranean Sea

而不幸的是，一块防水布 无法覆盖整个地中海，

or the Australian coast.

或者是澳洲海岸。

Invasive species are not a new problem,

物种入侵并不是一个新难题。

and can indeed occur naturally.

在大自然中时有发生。

But when such species are the results of

但是当这一入侵物种

human directed selective breeding or genetic modification

经过人工挑选培育或者基因优化后

and then released into the natural environment,

之后被投放回大自然，

their effect on ecosystems

他们对生态系统的影响

can be far more radical and irreversible.

将是更彻底而又无法挽回的。

With the proliferation of new technologies

随着新技术不断衍生，

and multiple threats to the environment,

对自然环境出现了越来越多的威胁，

it is more important than ever for scientists

比以往任何时候更重要的是

to monitor and evaluate the risks and dangers,

科学家应当关注考量所有的风险危害。

and for the rest of us to remember

对于我们来说应当牢记

that what starts in our backyard

那些种植在后院的植物

can effect ecosystems half a world away.

或许会影响到另外一个半球的生态系统。