The one thing stopping jellyfish from taking over - Mariela Pajuelo & Javier Antonio Quinones

翻译人员: Mawlili Mu 校对人员: Lexi Ding

Over the past two decades, jellyfish have begun to overwhelm our oceans.

过去20年来，水母开始占领海洋。

In New Zealand, divers swat off millions of stinging jellyfish

在新西兰，潜水员遇到了 上百万只带刺水母，

each no larger than a grain of pepper.

每只还没一粒胡椒大。

In Sweden, a massive cluster of moon jellyfish

在瑞典，由于被一个巨型海月水母群

shut down one of the world’s largest nuclear reactors

阻塞了重要管道，

by clogging the plant’s essential pipes.

全球最大的核电站之一被迫关停。

And in the Sea of Japan, thousands of 200 kilogram Nomura’s jellyfish

还有在日本海，上千个重达两百公斤、

with bells two meters in diameter swarm fishermen,

伞盖直径两米宽的越前水母涌向渔民，

snapping nets and devouring local fish.

弄破渔网，吞食里面的鱼类。

Around the world, these animals voraciously consume fish eggs and larvae,

这些动物在全球海域内 对鱼卵和幼鱼狼吞虎咽，

routinely undermine marine farming efforts,

破环海洋养殖业，

and outcompete adult fish by consuming the resources they need to survive.

同时，由于生存资源被消耗， 成鱼也会受到它们的影响。

If things stay on their current trajectory,

如果情况持续恶化，

we could be headed for a future where the entire ocean is thick with jellyfish.

未来的海洋可能被水母填满。

So, is there anything that can keep these gelatinous creatures under control?

那么，有什么办法能够 控制这些凝胶状生物吗？

Enter, the humble sea turtle.

有请海龟登场。

There are a wide range of marine animals that feed on jellyfish,

很多海洋生物进食水母，

but sea turtles are among their most ancient predators.

但海龟是水母们最古老的天敌。

And while every known species of sea turtle preys on jellyfish

并且尽管所有海龟在它们一生中的

at some point in their lives,

某个阶段都会捕食水母，

none consume quite as many as the leatherback.

但棱皮龟吃的最多。

Leatherbacks are the largest species of sea turtle,

棱皮龟是最大的海龟，

and they eat jellyfish almost exclusively,

并且它们几乎只吃水母，

devouring well over 1,000 metric tons of them over their roughly 50-year lifespans.

在约 50 年的寿命中， 会吞食远超一千公吨的水母。

This is particularly remarkable because jellyfish are 95% water

尤其值得注意的是， 水母身体含水量达 95%，

and very low in calories,

能量很低，

so to maintain a healthy weight,

所以为了保持健康的体重，

the average 500 kilogram leatherback

一只 500 公斤重的棱皮龟，

needs to eat roughly 400 kilograms of jellyfish every day.

每天需要吃 400 公斤水母。

That’s roughly the same weight as a grand piano.

约等于一架三角钢琴的重量。

And while some sea turtle species have been documented

研究证明有些海龟品种

selectively eating their preys’ protein-rich gonads,

只吃富含蛋白质的水母性腺，

leatherbacks eat jellyfish whole—

但棱皮龟却是整只吞掉——

mowing down huge swaths of unsuspecting jellies.

疯狂收割毫无防备的水母们。

Normally, jellyfish aren't quite this defenseless.

通常，水母并不会这样毫无还手之力。

Most species have tentacles covered in cells called cnidocytes,

大部分水母的触手上长满了刺细胞，

which contain venomous harpoons coiled and ready to launch.

刺细胞里有盘曲着蓄势待发的毒刺。

These barbed structures, known as nematocysts,

这些尖锐的结构叫做刺丝囊，

are released on contact.

会在接触时释放。

Jellyfish frequently use this sting to paralyze and kill their food,

水母经常用这些刺来麻醉和杀死猎物，

and it can also irritate the skin of would-be intruders.

也可以用来蛰可能的敌人。

But it's completely useless against sea turtles.

但这些刺对海龟完全没用。

Most of these reptiles have thick scales covered in keratin—

大部分爬行动物有厚实的鳞， 鳞上覆盖着角蛋白——

the same material that makes up nails and claws.

角蛋白也是组成指甲和爪子的原料。

This leathery armor protects their skin while they hunt,

这幅皮质盔甲在海龟捕猎时 保护着它们的皮肤，

and any captured prey that tries to escape is impaled

并且任何试图逃跑的猎物

on the keratinized spikes lining the leatherback’s esophagus.

都会被棱皮龟食管中角质化的刺扎穿。

For most sea turtles, these adaptations make individual jellyfish easy prey.

对于大部分海龟来说， 这使它们更容易捕食水母。

However, a jelly population’s true defense mechanism

然而，水母族群真正的保护机制

is in how quickly they can reproduce.

是它们的快速繁殖能力。

Almost all jellyfish species have evolved to reproduce both sexually and asexually,

几乎所有种类的水母都可以 有性繁殖和无性繁殖，

allowing them to increase their numbers with or without a partner.

这样不论有没有伴侣，它们都能繁殖。

In tropical environments,

在热带环境下，

jellyfish reproduce constantly throughout the year.

水母全年无休地繁殖。

But in more temperate climates,

但在温带气候中，

species often reproduce all at once in a massive bloom,

水母数量通常突然爆发式增长，

where jellies multiply at alarming rates.

繁殖速度令人担忧。

And humanity is making these blooms much more frequent.

而且人类活动正加剧这种爆发式繁殖。

Fertilizer runoff from farms introduces chemicals

农场排出的肥料中含有的化学物质

that simultaneously kill other fish and prompt blooms.

能够杀死其他鱼类同时加快水母的繁殖。

High water temperatures caused by climate change

气候变化导致的高水温

speed up jellyfish reproduction and extend the reproductive season.

加快了水母的繁殖速度 并且延长了它们的繁殖期。

Meanwhile, both marine construction and pollution

与此同时，海洋建筑以及污染

dramatically increase the surface area for jellyfish polyps

显著的增加了水螅体

to attach, grow, and mature.

栖息，生长，成熟的表面积。

All these issues require a wide range of policy-based solutions.

所有这些问题都需要广泛的 基于策略的解决方案。

But one major way to prevent jellyfish populations from getting out of hand

但控制水母数量的一个主要方法

is to protect their natural predators—

是保护它们的天敌——海龟。

many of whom are currently under threat.

目前很多海龟面临着威胁。

Small-scale fisheries that are essential to communities in Mexico and Peru

墨西哥和秘鲁的小型渔场 对当地社区至关重要，

often use gillnets,

这些渔场会使用刺网捕鱼，

which unintentionally capture and kill hundreds of sea turtles each year.

每年都会意外捕获和杀死上百只海龟。

In the Eastern Pacific, these practices could drive leatherbacks to extinction

这种做法将在未来 60 年里，

in the next 60 years.

导致东太平洋的棱皮龟灭绝。

Fortunately, some researchers have already developed inexpensive tools

幸运地是，科学家发明了低成本工具

to minimize these risks.

来减少这些风险。

Attaching green LED lights to gillnets has proven useful

通过在刺网上安装绿色的 LED 灯

for allowing sea turtles, dolphins, and even seabirds to avoid fishing gear.

就可以有效防止海龟、 海豚、甚至海鸟闯入刺网中。

Solutions like this should allow small-scale fishers

像这样的解决方式可以让小型渔民

to support their communities

在养家糊口的同时，

while minimizing their impact on our leathery ocean defenders.

最小化他们对海龟的影响。