Asha de Vos: Why you should care about whale poo

翻译人员: Yixiong Zhu 校对人员: Wei Wu

In the 1600s, there were so many right whales in Cape Cod Bay

在17世纪，美国东海岸科德角湾生活着

off the east coast of the U.S.

大量的露脊鲸，

that apparently you could walk across their backs

数量之多，你几乎都能踩着鲸鱼背

from one end of the bay to the other.

从海湾的一端走向另一端。

Today, they number in the hundreds, and they're endangered.

如今，他们只剩数百只，属于濒危生物。

Like them, many species of whales saw their numbers drastically reduced

同露脊鲸一样， 许多其他鲸鱼种类的数量也急剧下降，

by 200 years of whaling,

原因就是200年的捕鲸。

where they were hunted and killed for their whale meat, oil and whale bone.

这期间鲸鱼被猎杀， 被猎取鲸鱼肉，鲸鱼油，和鲸鱼骨。

We only have whales in our waters today

今天我们的海域中之所以还有鲸鱼，

because of the Save the Whales movement of the '70s.

要归功于上世纪70年代的拯救鲸鱼运动。

It was instrumental in stopping commercial whaling,

该运动对于阻止商业捕鲸起了重要作用，

and was built on the idea that if we couldn't save whales,

其基本理念是， 如果我们连鲸鱼都拯救不了，

what could we save?

我们还能拯救什么？

It was ultimately a test of our political ability

这项运动实质上考验了我们政治能力，

to halt environmental destruction.

阻止环境破坏的政治能力。

So in the early '80s, there was a ban on commercial whaling

80年代初，因为这项运动的努力，

that came into force as a result of this campaign.

商业捕鲸被禁止。

Whales in our waters are still low in numbers, however,

不过，我们的海域中鲸鱼数量仍旧稀少，

because they do face a range of other human-induced threats.

因为鲸鱼还面临一系列其他的人类威胁。

Unfortunately, many people still think that whale conservationists like myself

很不幸， 很多人仍觉得我这样的鲸鱼保护人士

do what we do only because these creatures are charismatic and beautiful.

是出于鲸鱼的魅力和美丽而保护鲸鱼。

This is actually a disservice,

这种思维其实会起反作用，

because whales are ecosystem engineers.

因为鲸鱼是生态系统的工程师。

They help maintain the stability and health of the oceans,

它们帮助维护海洋的稳定和健康，

and even provide services to human society.

甚至还能为人类社会做贡献。

So let's talk about why saving whales is critical

让我们来谈谈为什么拯救鲸鱼

to the resiliency of the oceans.

对保证海洋的自我调节很重要。

It boils down to two main things:

归根结底是两个主要的东西：

whale poop and rotting carcasses.

鲸鱼粪便和腐烂遗骸。

As whales dive to the depths to feed and come up to the surface to breathe,

当鲸鱼潜入深海捕食然后浮上海面呼吸时，

they actually release these enormous fecal plumes.

它们排放出巨量的排泄流。

This whale pump, as it's called,

这种所谓的鲸鱼泵

actually brings essential limiting nutrients from the depths

能将深海中的稀缺关键养分

to the surface waters where they stimulate the growth of phytoplankton,

带到水表，促进浮游生物的生长，

which forms the base of all marine food chains.

而浮游生物是一切海洋食物链的基础。

So really, having more whales in the oceans pooping

所以，让更多的鲸鱼在海洋中排泄

is really beneficial to the entire ecosystem.

会对整个生态系统都有好处。

Whales are also known to undertake some of the longest migrations of all mammals.

鲸鱼还是哺乳动物中迁徙距离最远的之一。

Gray whales off America migrate 16,000 kilometers

美国沿岸的灰鲸每年要迁徙16000公里，

between productive feeding areas and less productive calving, or birthing, areas

来回在营养丰富的捕食水域和

and back every year.

营养欠缺的繁殖水域之间。

As they do so, they transport fertilizer in the form of their feces

在此过程中，它们的粪便作为肥料被从

from places that have it to places that need it.

养分富饶的地方运送到养分稀缺的地方。

So clearly, whales are really important in nutrient cycling,

很显然，鲸鱼在海洋的营养循环中起重要作用，

both horizontally and vertically, through the oceans.

无论是纵向还是横向的营养循环。 （译注：纵向是海底到海面，横向是指鲸鱼迁徙）

But what's really cool is that they're also really important after they're dead.

但非常有意思的是，它们死后也在起重要作用。

Whale carcasses are some of the largest form of detritus

鲸鱼遗骸是海平面下沉的腐质中最大的之一，

to fall from the ocean's surface, and they're called whale fall.

它们被称作鲸鱼下沉物。

As these carcasses sink,

当遗骸下沉时，

they provide a feast to some 400-odd species,

超过400种生物会迎来它们的大餐，

including the eel-shaped, slime-producing hagfish.

这些生物中包括鳗鱼状的、产生粘液的蒲氏粘盲鳗。

So over the 200 years of whaling,

所以在200年的捕鲸活动里，

when we were busy killing and removing these carcasses from the oceans,

我们在匆忙杀戮， 从海洋中移除这些遗骸的同时，

we likely altered the rate and geographic distribution of these whale falls

我们也很可能改变了这些鲸鱼下沉物的

that would descend into deep oceans,

产生率和地理分布，

and as a result, probably led to a number of extinctions

而这可能会导致一些

of species that were most specialized

专门食用和非常依靠这种遗骸生存的

and dependent on these carcasses for their survival.

生物的灭绝。

Whale carcasses are also known to transport about 190,000 tons of carbon,

鲸鱼遗骸还能从大气层向深海运送大约190000吨的碳，

which is the equivalent of that produced

这相当于

by 80,000 cars per year

80000量汽车

from the atmosphere to the deep oceans,

一年排放的总和。

and the deep oceans are what we call "carbon sinks,"

深海被我们称为“碳池”，

because they trap and hold excess carbon from the atmosphere,

因为那里能锁住和存储大气中多余的碳，

and therefore help to delay global warming.

从而帮助减缓全球变暖。

Sometimes these carcasses also wash up on beaches

有时这些遗骸还被冲刷上海岸，

and provide a meal to a number of predatory species on land.

为陆地上一些捕猎生物提供午餐。

The 200 years of whaling was clearly detrimental

200年的捕鲸活动明显是有害的，

and caused a reduction in the populations of whales

鲸鱼数量减少了

between 60 to 90 percent.

60%到90%。

Clearly, the Save the Whales movement

拯救鲸鱼运动

was instrumental in preventing commercial whaling from going on,

在阻止商业捕鲸中起了关键作用，

but we need to revise this.

但我们需要做一些改进。

We need to address the more modern, pressing problems that these whales face

我们需要面对如今鲸鱼所面临的

in our waters today.

更当代，更紧迫的问题。

Amongst other things, we need to stop them

其中，我们要防止鲸鱼

from getting plowed down by container ships when they're in their feeding areas,

在繁殖水域中被运输船撞死，

and stop them from getting entangled in fishing nets

还要防止鲸鱼在海洋上游荡时

as they float around in the ocean.

被渔网缠住。

We also need to learn to contextualize our conservation messages,

我们还需学会将我们的动物保护信息 放入合适的语境，

so people really understand the true ecosystem value of these creatures.

以便人们能够真正了解 这些生物的真正生态价值。

So, let's save the whales again,

让我们再次拯救鲸鱼，

but this time, let's not just do it for their sake.

这次，我们这样做不仅是为了鲸鱼，

Let's also do it for ours.

我们也是在为我们自己。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）