How a fleet of wind-powered drones is changing our understanding of the ocean | Sebastien de Halleux

翻译人员: Wanna Shi 校对人员: Tianji (Homer) Li

We know more about other planets than our own,

我们对其他星球的认识 超过我们对地球的认识，

and today, I want to show you a new type of robot

今天，我想给你们看看 一款新型机器人

designed to help us better understand our own planet.

研发这款机器人就是为了 增进我们对地球的认识。

It belongs to a category

海洋学界将其称为

known in the oceanographic community as an unmanned surface vehicle, or USV.

无人水面艇，简称USV。

And it uses no fuel.

这种无人艇不用燃料。

Instead, it relies on wind power for propulsion.

而是利用风能来提供推进力。

And yet, it can sail around the globe for months at a time.

凭借风能，这种无人艇 出行一次便能持续数月，游遍全球。

So I want to share with you why we built it,

所以我想跟大家说说 我们打造这款无人艇的原因，

and what it means for you.

以及这款无人艇与你们的关联。

A few years ago, I was on a sailboat making its way across the Pacific,

几年前，我乘坐一艘 跨太平洋帆船，

from San Francisco to Hawaii.

这艘帆船从旧金山出发 驶向夏威夷。

I had just spent the past 10 years working nonstop,

过去十年间，我夜以继日地工作，

developing video games for hundreds of millions of users,

为数百万名用户开发电子游戏，

and I wanted to take a step back and look at the big picture

我想退一步 看看世界形势

and get some much-needed thinking time.

想要有一些思考的时间。

I was the navigator on board,

当时，我是船上的航海者，

and one evening, after a long session analyzing weather data

一天晚上，我们分析了 很久的天气数据

and plotting our course,

绘制行进路线，

I came up on deck and saw this beautiful sunset.

结束后，我来到甲板上 便看到了如此壮丽的日落景象。

And a thought occurred to me:

我突然冒出了一个想法：

How much do we really know about our oceans?

我们到底有多了解我们的海洋？

The Pacific was stretching all around me as far as the eye could see,

我目之所及，全是太平洋，

and the waves were rocking our boat forcefully,

海浪剧烈地摇晃着我们的船只，

a sort of constant reminder of its untold power.

仿佛在不断地提醒我们： 海洋拥有巨大的力量。

How much do we really know about our oceans?

我们到底有多了解我们的海洋？

I decided to find out.

我决定要一探究竟。

What I quickly learned is that we don't know very much.

我最先发现的是 我们对海洋所知不多。

The first reason is just how vast oceans are,

第一，因为海洋浩瀚无垠，

covering 70 percent of the planet,

海洋面积占地球面积的70%，

and yet we know they drive complex planetary systems

我们也知道 海洋影响复杂的行星系统

like global weather,

比如全球天气，

which affect all of us on a daily basis,

天气与我们的日常生活息息相关，

sometimes dramatically.

有时也会对我们造成巨大的影响。

And yet, those activities are mostly invisible to us.

不过，大部分这些活动 人类都没有关注到。

Ocean data is scarce by any standard.

不管按什么标准来衡量 与海洋相关的数据都非常稀缺。

Back on land, I had grown used to accessing lots of sensors --

返回陆地之后 我逐渐习惯使用大量探测设备--

billions of them, actually.

实际上，多大数亿台设备。

But at sea, in situ data is scarce and expensive.

但是，在海里，原地数据非常稀缺 而且采集成本高昂。

Why? Because it relies on a small number of ships and buoys.

为什么呢？这是因为原地数据采集 依靠的是一些船只和浮标。

How small a number was actually a great surprise.

船只和浮标的数量之少 足以让你们大吃一惊。

Our National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

美国国家海洋和大气管理局，

better known as NOAA,

简称NOAA，

only has 16 ships,

只有16艘船，

and there are less than 200 buoys offshore globally.

在全球海上投放的 浮标还不到200个。

It is easy to understand why:

其中的原因很好理解：

the oceans are an unforgiving place,

海洋变幻莫测，

and to collect in situ data, you need a big ship,

要采集原地数据 就需要巨大的船只，

capable of carrying a vast amount of fuel

能装得下大量燃料

and large crews,

需要大量船员，

costing hundreds of millions of dollars each,

这样，每艘船都需要 耗资数亿美元，

or, big buoys tethered to the ocean floor with a four-mile-long cable

或者需要栓到海底的大浮标 需要用四英里长的缆绳来栓

and weighted down by a set of train wheels,

还要用火车车轮来加重固定，

which is both dangerous to deploy and expensive to maintain.

这么做既危险， 维修费用又高

What about satellites, you might ask?

你们或许会问：卫星呢？

Well, satellites are fantastic,

嗯，卫星非常了不起，

and they have taught us so much about the big picture

短短几十年

over the past few decades.

卫星就帮助我们 掌握了很多宏观情况。

However, the problem with satellites

然而，问题是卫星

is they can only see through one micron of the surface of the ocean.

只能看穿海平面一个微米。

They have relatively poor spatial and temporal resolution,

卫星的时空分辨率相对较差，

and their signal needs to be corrected for cloud cover and land effects

而且卫星信号受到云层厚度和 地面效果的影响需要修正

and other factors.

还有其他因素。

So what is going on in the oceans?

那大海里到底发生了什么呢？

And what are we trying to measure?

我们想要测量什么呢？

And how could a robot be of any use?

机器人能发挥什么作用呢？

Let's zoom in on a small cube in the ocean.

让我们放大画面来看看海洋一角。

One of the key things we want to understand is the surface,

对于海洋，我们想了解很多东西 其中之一便是海面，

because the surface, if you think about it,

你们想一下原因，

is the nexus of all air-sea interaction.

因为海面连接大气与海洋 两者相互作用。

It is the interface through which all energy and gases must flow.

海面是一切能量和 气体通过的界面。

Our sun radiates energy,

太阳放射出的能量，

which is absorbed by oceans as heat

会被海洋当作热量吸收

and then partially released into the atmosphere.

一部分会热量又会 被释放到大气中。

Gases in our atmosphere like CO2 get dissolved into our oceans.

大气中的气体（如二氧化碳） 被海洋吸收溶解。

Actually, about 30 percent of all global CO2 gets absorbed.

实际上，海洋吸收了全球 30%左右的二氧化碳。

Plankton and microorganisms release oxygen into the atmosphere,

浮游生物和微生物 向大气中释放大量氧气，

so much so that every other breath you take comes from the ocean.

所以你所呼吸的每两口氧气 都来自海洋。

Some of that heat generates evaporation, which creates clouds

大海吸收的一部分热量会蒸发 形成云朵，

and then eventually leads to precipitation.

最终变成雨水。

And pressure gradients create surface wind,

气压梯度又会促使形成地面风，

which moves the moisture through the atmosphere.

地面风会吹走大气中的水分。

Some of the heat radiates down into the deep ocean

一些热量会释放到海洋深处

and gets stored in different layers,

储存在不同的深度，

the ocean acting as some kind of planetary-scale boiler

大海就像一个行星尺度锅炉

to store all that energy,

储存着这些能量，

which later might be released in short-term events like hurricanes

随后可能会通过短期活动， 如飓风

or long-term phenomena like El Niño.

或长期现象，如厄尔尼诺， 来释放能量。

These layers can get mixed up by vertical upwelling currents

将热量输送到南北极的主要途经，

or horizontal currents, which are key in transporting heat

是这些能量会通过 上升流或者水平流

from the tropics to the poles.

混合不同深度的能量。

And of course, there is marine life,

当然，大海里有各种各样的生物，

occupying the largest ecosystem in volume on the planet,

构成地球上规模最大的生态系统，

from microorganisms to fish to marine mammals,

有微生物、鱼、海洋哺乳动物，

like seals, dolphins and whales.

如海狮、海豚、鲸。

But all of these are mostly invisible to us.

但是，我们一般看不见这些生物。

The challenge in studying those ocean variables at scale

要大规模研究这些我们 看不见的海洋生物，

is one of energy,

有一个巨大的挑战， 与能源和精力相关。

the energy that it takes to deploy sensors into the deep ocean.

即要把各种各样的探测设备 部署在海洋深处所需的能源和精力。

And of course, many solutions have been tried --

当然，人类尝试了许多解决方案--

from wave-actuated devices

如靠波浪驱动的设备

to surface drifters

海洋漂流浮标

to sun-powered electrical drives --

太阳能供电的电气驱动 --

each with their own compromises.

每种方案都有其不足之处。

Our team breakthrough came from an unlikely source --

我们团队的突破点来源于 一个难以置信的想法--

the pursuit of the world speed record in a wind-powered land yacht.

风力快艇车试图破世界纪录。

It took 10 years of research and development

我们花了十年时间进行研发

to come up with a novel wing concept

才提出了一个新的机翼概念

that only uses three watts of power to control

三瓦电便足以控制这种机翼，

and yet can propel a vehicle all around the globe

它却能推动设备游遍全球

with seemingly unlimited autonomy.

拥有近乎无限的自主性。

By adapting this wing concept into a marine vehicle,

我们将这一机翼概念 融合到海洋设备中，

we had the genesis of an ocean drone.

借此首创了一台海洋无人机。

Now, these are larger than they appear.

如今，这些无人机要比看起来的大。

They are about 15 feet high, 23 feet long, seven feet deep.

高约4.6米，长约7米，深约2米。

Think of them as surface satellites.

把它们看作海面卫星。

They're laden with an array of science-grade sensors

这些无人机装满了各种 各样的科学级传感器

that measure all key variables,

用于测量包括 海洋学变量和大气变量的

both oceanographic and atmospheric,

所有关键变量，

and a live satellite link transmits this high-resolution data

这些无人机还装有实时卫星链接 实时将高清数据

back to shore in real time.

传输回陆地

Our team has been hard at work over the past few years,

过去几年，我们整个 团队都在辛勤工作，

conducting missions in some of the toughest ocean conditions

在地球上一些海洋 条件最艰苦的地区

on the planet,

执行任务，

from the Arctic to the tropical Pacific.

去过北极，也到过热带太平洋地区。

We have sailed all the way to the polar ice shelf.

我们一路航行到极地冰架。

We have sailed into Atlantic hurricanes.

我们曾驶进大西洋飓风之中。

We have rounded Cape Horn,

我们绕过了好望角，

and we have slalomed between the oil rigs of the Gulf of Mexico.

我们穿梭过墨西哥湾的石油钻机。

This is one tough robot.

这是一款彪悍的机器人。

Let me share with you recent work that we did

现在我跟大家说说

around the Pribilof Islands.

我们最近在普里比洛夫 群岛的工作内容。

This is a small group of islands deep in the cold Bering Sea

普里比洛夫群岛由一群小岛屿组成

between the US and Russia.

是美俄之间白令海中的群岛。

Now, the Bering Sea is the home of the walleye pollock,

如今，白眼狭鳕生存在白令海，

which is a whitefish you might not recognize,

白眼狭鳕是一种白鲑 你们可能不认识，

but you might likely have tasted if you enjoy fish sticks or surimi.

但如果你们爱吃鱼条或者鱼糜的话 你们就很可能吃过白眼狭鳕。

Yes, surimi looks like crabmeat, but it's actually pollock.

的确，鱼糜看着像蟹肉 但实际上是白眼狭鳕。

And the pollock fishery is the largest fishery in the nation,

此外，不管是从产值 还是从产量角度而言，

both in terms of value and volume --

白眼狭鳕渔场都是美国最大的渔场--

about 3.1 billion pounds of fish caught every year.

每年捕捞的白眼狭鳕重约141万吨。

So over the past few years, a fleet of ocean drones

因此，前几年，一批海洋无人机

has been hard at work in the Bering Sea

在白令海辛勤工作

with the goal to help assess the size of the pollock fish stock.

旨在帮助评估白眼狭鳕的存量规模。

This helps improve the quota system that's used to manage the fishery

以便改进捕捞配额制度 该制度用于妥善管理渔业资源

and help prevent a collapse of the fish stock

有助于预防鱼群存量崩溃，

and protects this fragile ecosystem.

保护这一脆弱的生态系统。

Now, the drones survey the fishing ground using acoustics,

当前，无人机利用声音勘测渔场，

i.e., a sonar.

比如，声呐。

This sends a sound wave downwards,

声呐向下发出声波，

and then the reflection, the echo from the sound wave

来自海床或鱼群的 声波反射，产生回声

from the seabed or schools of fish,

来自海床或鱼群的 声波反射，产生回声，

gives us an idea of what's happening below the surface.

便能让我们知道海面 之下有什么样的情况。

Our ocean drones are actually pretty good at this repetitive task,

实际上，我们的海洋无人机 非常擅长这份重复乏味的任务，

so they have been gridding the Bering Sea day in, day out.

所以它们日日夜夜 在白令海上游来游去。

Now, the Pribilof Islands are also the home of a large colony of fur seals.

现在，普里比洛夫群岛还居住着 一大群海狗。

In the 1950s, there were about two million individuals in that colony.

20世纪50年代，该群岛 约有两百万只海狗。

Sadly, these days, the population has rapidly declined.

不幸的是，如今海狗的数量骤减。

There's less than 50 percent of that number left,

目前海狗的数量不足以前的一半，

and the population continues to fall rapidly.

而且数量还在不断减少。

So to understand why,

为了明白其中的缘由，

our science partner at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory

我们的科学合作伙伴 美国国家海洋哺乳动物研究所

has fitted a GPS tag on some of the mother seals,

在一些海狗妈妈身上安装了GPS标签，

glued to their furs.

粘在它们的毛上。

And this tag measures location and depth

这种标签能探测海狗 妈妈的位置和深度

and also has a really cool little camera

还配有一个超炫酷的小摄像头

that's triggered by sudden acceleration.

海狗妈妈突然加速 就能触发摄像头。

Here is a movie taken by an artistically inclined seal,

这个视频拍的是一只 优美游动的海狗，

giving us unprecedented insight into an underwater hunt

这个视频让我们第一次欣赏到了

deep in the Arctic,

北极深海中的追捕大戏，

and the shot of this pollock prey

这个视频捕捉到了 这只沦为猎物的狭鳕

just seconds before it gets devoured.

几秒钟后，这只狭鳕被海狗吞噬。

Now, doing work in the Arctic is very tough, even for a robot.

目前，在北极开展工作极其艰难， 机器人也不例外。

They had to survive a snowstorm in August

它们要承受住八月的暴风雪

and interferences from bystanders --

和外来的干扰--

that little spotted seal enjoying a ride.

那只小斑点海狗“搭车”搭得很开心

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Now, the seal tags have recorded over 200,000 dives over the season,

截至目前，海豹标签已经记录了 当季20多万次游动，

and upon a closer look,

细看一下，

we get to see the individual seal tracks and the repetitive dives.

我们能看到每只海狗的 运动轨迹和重复性游动。

We are on our way to decode what is really happening

我们正在解码

over that foraging ground,

试图了解那片觅食圣地的真实动态，

and it's quite beautiful.

真的很美。

Once you superimpose the acoustic data collected by the drones,

如果你把无人机采集到的 声音数据叠加在一起，

a picture starts to emerge.

就会出现一张图片。

As the seals leave the islands and swim from left to right,

随着海狗离开这些 岛屿，从左往右游，

they are observed to dive at a relatively shallow depth of about 20 meters,

据观察，它们在较浅的地方 下潜了20米左右，

which the drone identifies is populated by small young pollock

而无人机探测到

with low calorific content.

此处有很多低热量小狭鳕。

The seals then swim much greater distance and start to dive deeper

随后，这些海狗游到了更远的地方 开始潜到更深的地方

to a place where the drone identifies larger, more adult pollock,

根据无人机探测， 此处有更大、更成熟的狭鳕，

which are more nutritious as fish.

这些狭鳕的营养更加丰富。

Unfortunately, the calories expended by the mother seals

不幸的是，海狗妈妈多游一段距离

to swim this extra distance

到此处消耗的热量

don't leave them with enough energy to lactate their pups back on the island,

使其不能留有足够的能量 哺乳岛上的幼崽，

leading to the population decline.

导致海狗数量下滑。

Further, the drones identify that the water temperature around the island

此外，无人机发现 岛屿附近的水温

has significantly warmed.

已经大幅上升。

It might be one of the driving forces that's pushing the pollock north,

这可能是导致狭鳕往北游的原因之一，

and to spread in search of colder regions.

以便寻找更加寒冷的栖息地。

So the data analysis is ongoing,

数据分析还在持续进行，

but already we can see that some of the pieces of the puzzle

但是，我们已经意识到

一些关于海狗谜团的碎片

from the fur seal mystery

are coming into focus.

正逐渐明朗。

But if you look back at the big picture,

但是，大家回过头来看一看，

we are mammals, too.

我们也是哺乳动物。

And actually, the oceans provide up to 20 kilos of fish per human per year.

实际上，大海每年给每个人 提供的鱼肉多达20公斤。

As we deplete our fish stocks, what can we humans learn

在我们不断地消耗鱼的存量时，

我们人类能从海狗的 故事中学到些什么呢？

from the fur seal story?

And beyond fish, the oceans affect all of us daily

除了鱼以外，海洋与我们的 日常生活也息息相关。

as they drive global weather systems,

因为海洋影响全球天气系统，

which affect things like global agricultural output

天气影响全球农业产量，

or can lead to devastating destruction of lives and property

而飓风、酷热、洪灾会造成巨大破坏，

through hurricanes, extreme heat and floods.

导致巨大的生命财产损失。

Our oceans are pretty much unexplored and undersampled,

大部分海洋区域未经勘探、欠采样，

and today, we still know more about other planets than our own.

如今，我们对其他星球的认识 超过我们对地球的认识。

But if you divide this vast ocean in six-by-six-degree squares,

但是，如果把这浩瀚的海洋 划分成6*6的区域，

each about 400 miles long,

每片区域大约长644千米，

you'd get about 1,000 such squares.

就能得到1000片区域。

So little by little, working with our partners,

一点一滴，循序渐进， 与我们的合作伙伴一起努力，

we are deploying one ocean drone in each of those boxes,

我们会在每一格 里面部署一个无人机，

the hope being that achieving planetary coverage

希望能覆盖全球海洋

will give us better insights into those planetary systems

以此让我们更好地了解

that affect humanity.

这些影响人类的行星系统。

We have been using robots to study distant worlds in our solar system

我们用机器人来研究 太阳系中的遥远世界

for a while now.

也有些时日了。

Now it is time to quantify our own planet,

现在是时候来量化地球了，

because we cannot fix what we cannot measure,

因为不能测量东西就不能处理，

and we cannot prepare for what we don't know.

对于我们不懂的事物 我们也不能未雨绸缪。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）