The surprising (and invisible) signatures of sea creatures - Kakani Katija

譯者: 陳 運昇 審譯者: Max Chern

So my name is Kakani Katija, and I'm a bioengineer.

我是Kakani Katiga， 是一位生物工程師。

I study marine organisms in their natural environment.

我在海洋生物棲息地研究牠們。

And what I want to point out,

我想說的是

and at least you can see this in this visualization,

至少你可以在這影像看到

is that the ocean environment is a dynamic place.

海洋是一個充滿動態的地方。

What you're seeing are the kinds of currents,

你現在看到的是各種洋流

as well as the whirls,

以及漩渦，

that are left behind in the ocean because of tides

它們是由於海洋的潮汐 或是風所留下來的。

or because of winds.

And imagine a marine organism as living in this environment,

想像一個生活在這環境中的海洋生物，

and they're trying to undergo their entire lives

終其一身要應付像這樣的洋流。

while dealing with currents like these.

But what I also want to point out

但我也要指出

is that small organisms also create small fluid motions, as well.

這些小生物也製造了流體小移動，

And it's these fluid motions that I study.

而我正是研究這些流體小移動。

And we can think about them like being footprints.

我們可把流體小移動想為腳印。

So this is my dog Kieran, and take a look at her footprints.

這是我的狗 基蘭， 看一看她的腳印。

Footprints provide a lot of information.

腳印提供我們許多的信息，

Not only do they tell us what kind of organism left them,

不只告訴我們是哪種生物留下的，

they might also tell us something about when that organism was there,

也告訴我們那個生物何時在那裡，

but also what kind of behavior, were they running or were they walking?

以及牠們的行為， 是用跑的，還是用走的？

And so terrestrial organisms, like my cute dog Kieran,

所以陸棲的生物， 像我可愛的小狗 基蘭，

might be leaving footprints behind in dirt or in sand,

可能會在泥土或沙灘留下腳印，

but marine organisms leave footprints in the form of what we call wake structures,

但海洋生物在流體留下的腳印， 我們稱為「尾流結構」

or hydrodynamic signatures,

或「流體動力行跡」

in fluid.

Now imagine, it's really hard to see these kinds of structures

現在想想，真的很難看到這些結構，

because fluid is transparent.

因為流體是透明的。

However, if we add something to the fluid, we get a completely different picture.

然而，如果我們添加某些東西到流體， 將得到完全不同的影像。

And you can see that these footprints that marine organisms create

你可以看到這些海洋生物 所造成的腳印，

are just dynamic.

是非常動態的，

They are constantly changing.

它們不斷地改變。

And marine organisms also have the ability to sense these signatures.

而海洋生物也有能力 感應到這些行跡。

They can also inform decisions,

牠們也可以做出決定，

like whether or not they want to continue following a signature like this

是否要繼續跟著這個行跡

to find a mate or to find food,

去找到伴侶或食物，

or maybe avoid these signatures to avoid being eaten.

或者避開這些行跡以免被吃掉。

So imagine the ability to be able

想像有這個能力

to not only see or visualize these kinds of signatures,

不僅可以看到或形像化這些行跡，

but to also measure them.

而且還可以測量它們，

This is the engineering side of what I do.

這是我研究的工程這個方面 。

And so what I've done is I actually took a laboratory technique

我所做的就是用實驗室的技術

and miniaturized it and basically shrunk it down

把它縮小到可以放入水底機箱

into the use of underwater housings

to make a device that a single scuba diver can use.

做成一個潛水員就可操作的裝置。

And so a single scuba diver can go anywhere from the surface to 40 meters,

所以，一位潛水員可以從水面 潛到水下40米（即120英尺深）的任何地方，

or 120 feet deep,

to measure the hydrodynamic signatures that organisms create.

去測量生物所造成的「流體動力行跡」。

Before I begin,

在開始之前，

I want to immerse you into what these kinds of measurements require.

我想讓你們進一步 知道測量需要甚麼。

So in order to work, we actually dive at night,

為了能順利工作，　 我們是在夜晚下潛，

and this is because we're trying to minimize any interactions

因為我們試圖把雷射與陽光 的相互影響減到最低，

between the laser and sunlight

and we're diving in complete darkness

我們在完全黑暗中潛水

because we do not want to scare away the organisms we're trying to study.

因為我們不想嚇跑要研究的生物，

And then once we find the organisms we're interested in,

然後，一旦找到我們感興趣的生物時，

we turn on a green laser.

我們就會打開綠色雷射光。

And this green laser is actually illuminating a sheet of fluid,

而這綠色雷射光照亮了一片流體，

and in that fluid,

在這片流體中

it's reflecting off of particles that are found everywhere in the ocean.

會反射出海洋中隨處可見的物質顆粒。

And so as an animal swims through this laser sheet,

所以當有生物游過這片區域時，

you can see these particles are moving over time,

你可以看到這些粒子隨時間在移動，

and so we actually risk our lives to get this kind of data.

我們事實上是冒著危險 得到這樣的數據。

What you're going to see

你將看到的是

is that on the left these two particles images

左邊這兩張粒子影像，

that shows the displacement of fluid over time,

顯示出流體隨著時間在移動，

and using that data,

使用這些數據，

you can actually extract what the velocity of that fluid is,

你可以計算出流體移動的速度，

and that's indicated by the vector plots that you see in the middle.

它會顯示在中間這張向量圖。

And then we can use that data

之後，我們使用這些數據

to answer a variety of different questions,

去回答很多不同的問題，

not only to understand the rotational sense of that fluid,

不只是瞭解流體轉動的道理，

which you see on the right,

就如你在右圖看到的，

but also estimate something about energetics,

而且也可估計能量學的東西，

or the kinds of forces that act on these organisms or on the fluid,

或者其他任何 加諸於流體或生物上的力量，

and also evaluate swimming and feeding performance.

也評估了生物游泳和進食的行為。

We've used this technique on a variety of different organisms,

我們用這個技術在各種 不同的生物體上，

but remember, there's an issue here.

但要記住，有一個問題。

We're only able to study organisms that a scuba diver can reach.

我們只能研究潛水員 能夠到達的海域中的生物，

And so before I finish, I want to tell you what the next frontier is

所以在我結束之前， 我想要告訴大家我們的下一步

in terms of these kinds of measurements.

有關於各種測量方面。

And with collaborators at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute,

透過與蒙特雷灣水族館研究所合作，

we're developing instrumentation to go on remotely opperated vehicles

我們正在研發 能在「遙控潛水器」上使用的儀器。

so we can study organisms anywhere from the surface down to 4000 meters,

那麼就能在從水面 至 4000 米深的任何地方研究生物，

or two and a half miles.

也就是 2.5 英里。

And so we can answer really interesting questions about this organism,

因此，我們可以回答 有關這個生物有趣的問題，

this is a larvacean,

這是一隻尾海鞘，

that creates a feeding current and forces fluids through their mucus house

牠製造了進食水流， 迫使流體流經牠們的黏膜囊，

and extracts nutrients.

並攝取營養素。

And then this animal,

然後這個動物，

this is a siphonophore,

這是一隻管水母，

and they can get to lengths about half the size of a football field.

牠們可長到約半個足球場的長度。

And they're able to swim vertically in the ocean

而且牠們能在大海中垂直游，

by just creating jet propulsion.

是利用製造“噴射推進”的。

And then finally we can answer these questions

最後我們可以回答這些問題

about how swarming organisms, like krill,

有關群行生物 ─ 例如磷蝦，

are able to affect mixing on larger scales.

如何更大規模影響海水混合。

And this is actually one of the most interesting results so far

這是到目前為止， 我們用潛水裝備收集到最有趣的資料，

that we've collected using the scuba diving device

in that organisms, especially when they're moving in mass,

這些生物，特別當它們聚集移動時，

are able to generate mixing

能夠造成海水混合，

at levels that are equivalent to some other physical processes

這相當於與風和潮汐有關的物理作用。

that are associated with winds and tides.

But before I finish,

但在我結束之前，

I want to leave you all with a question

我想留給大家一個問題，

because I think it's important to keep in mind

因為我覺得記住這個很重要，

that technologies today that we take for granted

我們現在認為理所當然的技術

started somewhere.

始於某些地方。

It was inspired from something.

它是由某些事物啟發。

So imagine scientists and engineers were inspired by birds

所以，想像一下科學家和工程師 被鳥類所啟發

to create airplanes.

創造出飛機。

And something we take for granted,

而我們視為當然的事，

flying from San Francisco to New York,

從舊金山飛往紐約，

is something that was inspired by an organism.

是受一種生物所啟發的。

And as we're developing these new technologies

當我們研發這些新技術

to understand marine organisms,

以了解海洋生物，

what we want to do is answer this question:

我們想要回答這個問題：

how will marine organisms inspire us?

海洋生物將如何啟發我們？

Will they allow us to develop new underwater technologies,

牠們會促使我們開發新的水下技術，

like underwater vehicles that look like a jellyfish?

比如看起來像水母的水下交通工具嗎？

I think it's a really exciting time in ocean exploration

我想在海洋探索是一個激動人心的時刻

because now we have the tools available to answer this kind of question,

因為現在我們有方法 來回答這個問題，

and with the help of you guys at some point,

並且在某些時候透過你們的協助，

you can apply these tools to answer this kind of question

你可以應用這些方法 回答這個問題，

and also develop technologies of the future.

同時也研發未來新技術。

Thank you.

謝謝。

翻譯：陳運昌