TEDGlobal 2014
Asha de Vos: Why you should care about whale poo
阿莎·德沃斯: 為什麼鯨魚糞便值得關注
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海洋生物學家阿莎·德沃斯認為，鯨魚有一項重要而令人驚奇的任務。牠們是生態系統的工程師，保障海洋的健康和穩定，而牠們完成該職責的方式之一卻是——排泄糞便。阿莎·德沃斯是一名 TED Fellow，請聽她講述鯨魚這一被低估的，卻能幫助保持海洋，乃至我們地球穩定和健康的行為。
Asha de Vos - Protector of whales
Dedicated to increasing awareness about Northern Indian Ocean blue whales, Asha de Vos is also committed to inspiring the next generation of marine biologists. Full bio
Dedicated to increasing awareness about Northern Indian Ocean blue whales, Asha de Vos is also committed to inspiring the next generation of marine biologists. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
In the 1600s, there were so many
right whales in Cape Cod Bay
right whales in Cape Cod Bay
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17世紀，在美國東海岸的科德角灣
生活著大量的露脊鯨。
生活著大量的露脊鯨。
00:16
off the east coast of the U.S.
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00:18
that apparently you could
walk across their backs
walk across their backs
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牠们數量之多，以至於你幾乎都能踩著鯨魚背
從海灣的一端走向另一端。
00:22
from one end of the bay to the other.
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如今，牠們只剩數百隻，瀕臨滅絕。
00:25
Today, they number in the hundreds,
and they're endangered.
and they're endangered.
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00:28
Like them, many species of whales
saw their numbers drastically reduced
saw their numbers drastically reduced
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同露脊鯨一樣，
許多其他種類的鯨魚數量也急劇下降，
許多其他種類的鯨魚數量也急劇下降，
00:33
by 200 years of whaling,
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正是由於這兩百年來的捕鯨活動。
00:36
where they were hunted and killed
for their whale meat, oil and whale bone.
for their whale meat, oil and whale bone.
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這期間鯨魚被獵殺，被獵取鯨魚肉、
鯨魚油，和鯨魚骨。
鯨魚油，和鯨魚骨。
00:43
We only have whales in our waters today
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今天我們的海域中之所以還有鯨魚，
00:45
because of the Save the Whales
movement of the '70s.
movement of the '70s.
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是因為70年代的「拯救鯨魚」運動。
00:49
It was instrumental in stopping
commercial whaling,
commercial whaling,
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該運動有效阻止了商業捕鯨，
00:52
and was built on the idea that
if we couldn't save whales,
if we couldn't save whales,
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其基本理念是：
如果我們連鯨魚都拯救不了，
如果我們連鯨魚都拯救不了，
00:56
what could we save?
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我們還能拯救什么？
00:58
It was ultimately a test
of our political ability
of our political ability
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這實質上考驗了我們的政治能力，
01:01
to halt environmental destruction.
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阻止環境破壞的政治能力。
01:04
So in the early '80s, there was
a ban on commercial whaling
a ban on commercial whaling
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這項運動的一個成果就是
1980年代初
1980年代初
01:08
that came into force
as a result of this campaign.
as a result of this campaign.
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商業捕鯨禁令的頒布。
01:11
Whales in our waters are still
low in numbers, however,
low in numbers, however,
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不過，我們的海域中鯨魚數量仍舊稀少，
01:14
because they do face a range
of other human-induced threats.
of other human-induced threats.
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因為鯨魚還面臨一系列
其他的人類造成的威脅。
其他的人類造成的威脅。
01:19
Unfortunately, many people still think
that whale conservationists like myself
that whale conservationists like myself
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很不幸，很多人仍覺得
我這樣的鯨魚保護人士
我這樣的鯨魚保護人士
01:27
do what we do only because these creatures
are charismatic and beautiful.
are charismatic and beautiful.
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是出於欣賞鯨魚的魅力
和美麗而保護鯨魚。
和美麗而保護鯨魚。
這種思維其實會起反作用，
01:33
This is actually a disservice,
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01:36
because whales are ecosystem engineers.
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因為鯨魚是生態系統的工程師。
01:40
They help maintain the stability
and health of the oceans,
and health of the oceans,
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牠們幫助維護海洋的穩定和健康，
01:44
and even provide services
to human society.
to human society.
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甚至還能為人類社會做貢獻。
01:49
So let's talk about why
saving whales is critical
saving whales is critical
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讓我們來談談為什麼拯救鯨魚
對保證海洋的自我調節很重要。
01:53
to the resiliency of the oceans.
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歸根結底是兩個主要的東西：
01:56
It boils down to two main things:
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02:01
whale poop and rotting carcasses.
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鯨魚糞便和腐爛遺骸。
02:04
As whales dive to the depths to feed
and come up to the surface to breathe,
and come up to the surface to breathe,
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當鯨魚潛入深海捕食
然後浮上海面呼吸時，
然後浮上海面呼吸時，
02:10
they actually release these
enormous fecal plumes.
enormous fecal plumes.
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牠們排放出巨量的排泄流。
02:13
This whale pump, as it's called,
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這種所謂的鯨魚泵
02:15
actually brings essential limiting
nutrients from the depths
nutrients from the depths
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能將深海中的稀缺關鍵養分
02:18
to the surface waters where they
stimulate the growth of phytoplankton,
stimulate the growth of phytoplankton,
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帶到水表，促進浮游生物的生長，
02:22
which forms the base
of all marine food chains.
of all marine food chains.
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而浮游生物是一切海洋食物鏈的基礎。
02:26
So really, having more whales
in the oceans pooping
in the oceans pooping
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所以，讓更多的鯨魚在海洋中排泄
02:29
is really beneficial
to the entire ecosystem.
to the entire ecosystem.
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會對整個生態系統都有好處。
02:33
Whales are also known to undertake some
of the longest migrations of all mammals.
of the longest migrations of all mammals.
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鯨魚還是遷徙距離最遠的哺乳動物之一。
02:38
Gray whales off America
migrate 16,000 kilometers
migrate 16,000 kilometers
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灰鯨每年遷徙1萬6千公里
02:44
between productive feeding areas and less
productive calving, or birthing, areas
productive calving, or birthing, areas
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來回在營養豐富的捕食水域和
營養欠缺的繁殖水域之間。
02:50
and back every year.
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02:53
As they do so, they transport fertilizer
in the form of their feces
in the form of their feces
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在此過程中，牠們的糞便作為肥料
02:58
from places that have it
to places that need it.
to places that need it.
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被從養分富饒的地方
運送到養分稀缺的地方。
運送到養分稀缺的地方。
03:02
So clearly, whales are really
important in nutrient cycling,
important in nutrient cycling,
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很顯然，鯨魚在海洋的
營養循環中起重要作用，
營養循環中起重要作用，
03:06
both horizontally and vertically,
through the oceans.
through the oceans.
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無論是縱向還是橫向的營養循環。
03:09
But what's really cool is that they're
also really important after they're dead.
also really important after they're dead.
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但非常有意思的是，
牠們死後也起重要作用。
牠們死後也起重要作用。
03:16
Whale carcasses are some of
the largest form of detritus
the largest form of detritus
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鯨魚遺骸是海平面下最大的腐質之一，
03:20
to fall from the ocean's surface,
and they're called whale fall.
and they're called whale fall.
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它們被稱作鯨魚下沉物。
03:25
As these carcasses sink,
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當遺骸下沉時，
03:27
they provide a feast
to some 400-odd species,
to some 400-odd species,
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它們給400個物種提供了盛宴，
03:30
including the eel-shaped, slime-producing
hagfish.
hagfish.
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其中包括鰻魚狀的、產生粘液的盲鰻。
03:35
So over the 200 years of whaling,
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所以，超過200年的捕鯨，
03:37
when we were busy killing and removing
these carcasses from the oceans,
these carcasses from the oceans,
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我們在匆忙殺戮，
從海洋中移除這些遺骸的同時，
從海洋中移除這些遺骸的同時，
03:41
we likely altered the rate and geographic
distribution of these whale falls
distribution of these whale falls
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我們也很可能改變了這些鯨魚下沉物的
產生率和地理分布，
03:47
that would descend into deep oceans,
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03:49
and as a result, probably led
to a number of extinctions
to a number of extinctions
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而這很可能導致了一些
03:53
of species that were most specialized
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專門食用和依靠
這種遺骸生存的生物的滅絕。
這種遺骸生存的生物的滅絕。
03:55
and dependent on these carcasses
for their survival.
for their survival.
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03:59
Whale carcasses are also known
to transport about 190,000 tons of carbon,
to transport about 190,000 tons of carbon,
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鯨魚的遺骸也能運輸約19萬噸的碳，
04:07
which is the equivalent of that produced
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這相當於
04:10
by 80,000 cars per year
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8萬輛汽車
一年從大氣到海洋的碳排放。
04:13
from the atmosphere to the deep oceans,
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04:16
and the deep oceans
are what we call "carbon sinks,"
are what we call "carbon sinks,"
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深海被我們稱為「碳池」，
04:19
because they trap and hold
excess carbon from the atmosphere,
excess carbon from the atmosphere,
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因為那裡能鎖住和存儲大氣中多餘的碳，
04:23
and therefore help
to delay global warming.
to delay global warming.
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從而幫助減緩全球暖化。
04:27
Sometimes these carcasses
also wash up on beaches
also wash up on beaches
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有時這些遺骸還被沖刷上海岸，
04:31
and provide a meal to a number
of predatory species on land.
of predatory species on land.
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為陸地上的一些捕獵生物提供食物。
04:36
The 200 years of whaling
was clearly detrimental
was clearly detrimental
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這二百年的捕鯨行為破壞巨大，
04:40
and caused a reduction
in the populations of whales
in the populations of whales
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它導致鯨魚數量減少了
04:43
between 60 to 90 percent.
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60%到90%。
04:46
Clearly, the Save the Whales movement
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拯救鯨魚行動
04:48
was instrumental in preventing
commercial whaling from going on,
commercial whaling from going on,
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在阻止商業捕鯨中確實起了關鍵作用，
04:52
but we need to revise this.
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但我們還需要做一些改進。
04:55
We need to address the more modern,
pressing problems that these whales face
pressing problems that these whales face
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我們需要應對如今鯨魚所面臨的
05:00
in our waters today.
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更當代，更緊迫的問題。
05:02
Amongst other things, we need to stop them
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其中，我們要防止鯨魚
05:04
from getting plowed down by container
ships when they're in their feeding areas,
ships when they're in their feeding areas,
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在餵養水域中被運輸船撞死，
05:09
and stop them from getting
entangled in fishing nets
entangled in fishing nets
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還要防止鯨魚在海洋上游蕩時
05:11
as they float around in the ocean.
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被漁網纏住。
05:14
We also need to learn to contextualize
our conservation messages,
our conservation messages,
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我們還需學會將我們的動物保護資訊具體化，
05:18
so people really understand the true
ecosystem value of these creatures.
ecosystem value of these creatures.
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以便人們能夠真正了解
這些生物的實際生態價值。
這些生物的實際生態價值。
05:25
So, let's save the whales again,
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讓我們再次拯救鯨魚，
05:30
but this time, let's not just
do it for their sake.
do it for their sake.
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然而這次，我們這樣做不僅是為鯨魚，
05:34
Let's also do it for ours.
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也是為我們自己！
05:36
Thank you.
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謝謝。
05:39
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Asha de Vos - Protector of whalesDedicated to increasing awareness about Northern Indian Ocean blue whales, Asha de Vos is also committed to inspiring the next generation of marine biologists.
Why you should listen
Asha de Vos is a marine biologist and TED Fellow who specializes in researching and working with marine mammals. She has degrees from the Universities of St. Andrews and Oxford, and her PhD from the University of Western Australia. She oversees the Sri Lankan Blue Whale Project, the first long-term study on blue whales within the northern Indian Ocean.
A Duke University Global Fellow in Marine Conservation, de Vos previously worked at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature while she has also consulted with the National Aquatic Research Agency. She was a panelist at the Rio+20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2012.
More profile about the speakerA Duke University Global Fellow in Marine Conservation, de Vos previously worked at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature while she has also consulted with the National Aquatic Research Agency. She was a panelist at the Rio+20 summit in Rio de Janeiro in 2012.
Asha de Vos | Speaker | TED.com