How you survive the coldest place on Earth - Nadia Frontier

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: SF Huang

The vast, white ice surface of Antarctica

南極廣闊、白色的冰表面

stretches for over 3 million square kilometers:

延伸超過三百萬平方公里：

empty, desolate, and almost completely silent.

空蕩蕩、荒蕪、幾乎是一片沉寂。

But appearances can be deceiving.

但外表是會欺騙人的。

On the coast of this expanse,

在這片廣大海岸的冰層下幾公尺處，

just a few meters beneath the ice lies a multicolored constellation of life.

存在著多彩多姿的生物群。

This remarkably diverse realm is home to over 8,000 species of sea denizens

這個相當多樣化的王國， 是八千多個海洋物種的家。

who rely on an arsenal of otherworldly traits to survive.

牠們仰賴許多另類的特徵來生存。

So how do these species not only live, but thrive,

這些物種如何能不僅存活下來，

in conditions most animals would be unable to bear?

還可以在大部分動物都無法 忍受的條件下成長茁壯？

Antarctic waters are some of the most consistently frigid in the world,

南極的海域是世界上 持續極低溫的水域之一，

hovering below 0 degrees Celsius for a large portion of the year.

一年中大部分的時間， 都停留在攝氏零度以下的溫度。

This means burning energy too quickly can be deadly,

這意味著，燃燒能量的速度 若太快可能會危急生命，

so survival in this ecosystem looks slow and steady.

因此要在這個生態系統中 生存，就得又慢又穩。

Freezing temperatures persist even in the summer,

即使在夏天，溫度仍然極低，

but this season brings a rare gift: sunlight.

但這個季節會帶來 一件罕見的禮物：陽光。

For a brief period, it’s abundant,

在一段短暫的時間內，陽光很充足，

shining through the ice for 24 hours a day.

能穿過冰層，一天 二十四小時不間斷。

This infusion of energy drives intense coastal phytoplankton blooms,

這樣注入能量，能促使 近海浮游植物大量繁殖，

transforming the waters into a thick green soup.

將海域轉變成濃郁的綠湯。

Marine life both large and small takes advantage of this bounty,

大大小小的海洋生物都 善加利用這麼豐足的資源，

including the giant Antarctic isopod.

包括巨型的南極等足目動物。

Cousins of the humble pill bug,

這些甲殼類動物 是這隻不起眼的球潮蟲之近親，

these crustaceans can reach up to 11 centimeters long,

長度可以達十一公分，

and they never miss the opportunity for a meal.

且牠們從來不會錯過用餐的機會。

The scavengers eat a wide variety of prey, including other giant isopods.

這些清道夫會吃許多種獵物，

包括其他巨型等足目動物。

And by slowing their metabolisms, they can make this food last,

牠們會藉由減緩代謝的 方式，讓食物消化得更久，

with one study showing specimens surviving for 50 days without eating.

有一項研究發現，樣本在沒有 進食的情況下還能生存五十天。

Since this adaptation involves careful conservation of energy,

由於這種適應性涉及到 要謹慎地保存能量，

giant isopods spend most of their time stationary or inching across the seafloor.

巨型等足目動物 大部分時間都會保持靜止

或在海底緩慢移動。

Meanwhile, their tiny amphipod relatives celebrate the summer

同時，牠們的小型片腳類親戚

慶祝夏天的方式是在 藻類爆炸時釋出後代，

by releasing offspring alongside the algal explosion,

ensuring their young have an abundance of food.

確保牠們的幼兒能有豐足的食物。

And sea cucumbers carpeting the seafloor hoover up the dense plankton

海底滿是海參，

向外伸出觸手， 吸食密集的浮游生物。

with outstretched tentacles,

producing nutrient-rich feces that nourish nearby life.

產生營養豐富的糞便， 滋養附近的生命。

But this big summer blowout doesn’t last long.

但這場夏季盛會並不持久。

The first signs of autumn arrive in fine needles of frazil ice.

秋天的第一個徵兆， 是細小的碎晶冰出現。

These slowly coagulating crystals form a skin across the surface,

這些緩慢凝結的晶體 在水面上形成一層表皮，

then mix with falling snow before freezing into a thin crust of ice.

接著與降雪混合在一起， 再凍結成為薄薄的一層冰殼。

The waters get darker and colder.

水變得越來越暗、越來越冷。

And in this swiftly dimming world,

在這個快速變暗的世界中，

a set of long, spiky limbs sidle into view.

一組長而尖刺的身影悄然出現。

With up to six pairs of legs, these giant sea spiders aren’t arachnids,

這些巨型的海蜘蛛擁有多達 六對腳，牠們不是蛛形綱動物，

but rather a related class of marine arthropod unique to the seafloor.

而是和海洋節肢動物相近的綱，

在海底獨一無二。

In addition to housing some of the animal’s organs,

牠們的腳除了容納一些器官之外， 上面還覆蓋著微小的孔洞，

its legs are covered in tiny holes,

which grow more numerous as the spider ages.

孔洞會隨年齡增加而越來越多。

These holes will likely help absorb the dissolved oxygen

而這些孔洞可能有助於吸收

that saturates these freezing southern waters.

在冰凍南方海域中飽和的溶解氧。

Since oxygen fuels growth,

由於氧氣能促進生長，

many local species have evolved to take advantage of this abundance,

許多當地物種已進化成 能夠利用這種豐富的資源，

and it may be one of the reasons that gigantism is so common in this region.

這可能是巨大生物在此地區 如此普遍的原因之一。

Individual sea spiders, for instance, can grow to the size of dinner plates.

例如，一隻海蜘蛛 就可以長到餐盤那麼大。

But soon, these underwater giants will be moving slower than ever.

但沒多久，這些水下巨型動物的 移動速度就會變得比以往更慢。

As winter settles in, the sea floor becomes even colder.

隨著冬天到來，海底會變得更冷。

Waters fall to negative 1.8 degrees Celsius.

水溫會下降至攝氏零下一點八度。

On the surface, the thin icy crust thickens into a layer called nilas,

在水面上，薄冰殼層會增厚， 形成所謂的「冰殼」，

新的海冰開始隆起成冰脊，

and young sea ice starts forming ridges that block out the sun.

阻擋陽光。

The ocean begins to mirror the still landscape above it.

上方的靜態景觀會倒映在冰面上。

Antarctic sea cucumbers and urchins go into dormancy for months,

南極海參與海膽進入 數個月的休眠狀態，

and their metabolic rates fall to the slowest on Earth.

牠們的新陳代謝率降低到 地球上最低的程度。

Antarctic limpets continue feeding,

南極簾蛤繼續進食，

but at such a gradual pace that they're largely still surviving

但採用漸進式的步調，

主要仍然是靠夏天 保存下來的能量來生存。

on energy reserves from the summer.

Tiny crustaceans survive off the traces of algae

小型甲殼綱動物靠附著 牠們家冰天花板上的

growing on their home’s icy ceiling,

藻類痕跡維生，

raising their young in these expansive winter nurseries.

在這些寬敞的冬天育兒場所中 養育牠們的幼雛。

But this seemingly endless winter won't last forever.

但這似乎無止盡的冬天 並不會永遠持續下去。

As spring comes, light slowly begins to trickle back down through the ice.

隨著春天來臨，陽光緩慢地 透過冰層一點一點滲進來。

And week by week, bit by bit,

每週一點點，

this underwater world will begin waking up

這個水下世界會開始甦醒，

to begin its delicate, slow-motion dance once again.

再次跳起它那支精緻的慢動作舞蹈。