ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Heidi M. Sosik - Ocean scientist, inventor, explorer
Heidi M. Sosik is an ocean scientist who uses tools like lasers and robotic cameras to figure out how tiny organisms in the ocean affect our whole planet.

Why you should listen

Heidi M. Sosik is a scientist, inventor and explorer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she holds the Stanley W. Watson Chair for Excellence in Oceanography. Sosik leads a multidisciplinary team conducting long-term research on marine ecosystems and how they are changing in response to intersecting pressures from human activity, environmental variability and climate change.

During undergraduate engineering studies at MIT, Sosik became fascinated by the diversity of microscopic life in the ocean. This led her toward a doctorate in oceanography and a research career focused on discovery. Today she develops and deploys new technologies to see life in the ocean in new ways. Sosik is co-inventor of a robotic underwater microscope used by researchers around the world to study minuscule forms of life in the ocean and by coastal managers to ensure that seafood is safe to eat. Sosik has been recognized for her impact and leadership through honors including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and selection as a Fellow of The Oceanography Society.

Sosik's bold plan to explore the ocean's twilight zone is one of the first ideas of The Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire global change.

More profile about the speaker
Heidi M. Sosik | Speaker | TED.com
TED2018

Heidi M. Sosik: The discoveries awaiting us in the ocean's twilight zone

海蒂 M·索西克: 在海洋过渡带中,等待着我们的新发现

Filmed:
1,400,675 views

我们会在过渡带这一海面下数百米、广阔神秘却又未曾被探索的水体中发现什么呢?来自伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的海蒂 M·索西克希望给出答案。在这场精彩的演讲中,她分享了利用潜水技术探索蕴含着百万种新生物,以及世界上90%的鱼类生物的未知水域的计划。索西克说道,探索发现不仅会令我们感到吃惊,还会帮助我们更好的管理海洋。(这一有野心的计划是“创新项目”最早的几个想法之一,由TED开启,致力于激发全球性的改变。)
- Ocean scientist, inventor, explorer
Heidi M. Sosik is an ocean scientist who uses tools like lasers and robotic cameras to figure out how tiny organisms in the ocean affect our whole planet. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I bet赌注 all of you are familiar
with this view视图 of the ocean海洋,
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我相信你们都熟悉这样的海洋,
00:17
but the thing is,
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但事实是,
00:18
most of the ocean海洋 looks容貌 nothing like this.
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海洋的大部分地方
并不是这样的景象。
00:21
Below下面 the sunlit阳光 surface表面 waters水域,
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在水面下阳光照射不到的地方,
00:23
there's an otherworldly空想的 realm领域
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则是另一个非凡的世界,
即所谓的过渡带。
00:25
known已知 as the twilight zone.
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00:28
At 200 to 1,000 meters below下面 the surface表面,
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在水面下200米到1000米的深处,
00:31
sunlight阳光 is barely仅仅 a glimmer微光.
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阳光几乎无法到达。
微小的颗粒在黑暗中旋转,
00:34
Tiny particles粒子 swirl漩涡 down
through通过 the darkness黑暗
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而生物体发出的微光
00:37
while flashes闪烁 of bioluminescence生物发光
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告诉我们这里充满着生命:
00:39
give us a clue线索 that
these waters水域 teem盛产 with life:
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微生物,浮游生物,鱼类。
00:44
microbes微生物, plankton浮游生物, fish.
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所有生活在这里的生命体
都对这极端环境下的
00:46
Everything that lives生活 here
has amazing惊人 adaptations改编
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挑战有着惊人的适应力。
00:49
for the challenges挑战
of such这样 an extreme极端 environment环境.
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00:54
These animals动物 help support支持
top最佳 predators大鳄 such这样 as whales鲸鱼, tuna金枪鱼,
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这些生物支撑了食物链顶端的
猎食者,譬如鲸鱼,金枪鱼,
00:58
swordfish旗鱼 and sharks鲨鱼.
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旗鱼以及鲨鱼的生存。
01:00
There could be 10 times
more fish biomass生物质 here
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这里的鱼类生物质含量是
01:03
than previously先前 thought.
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之前推算的十倍。
事实上,可能比海洋
其他部分的总和还要多。
01:05
In fact事实, maybe more
than all the rest休息 of the ocean海洋 combined结合.
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01:10
There are countless无数
undiscovered未被发现 species种类 in deep waters水域,
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在深海,有无数尚未被发现的物种,
01:14
and life in the twilight zone
is intertwined交织 with earth's地球 climate气候.
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而过渡带中的生命
与地球气候息息相关。
01:20
Yet然而 the twilight zone
is virtually实质上 unexplored未开发.
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然而,过渡带几乎未被探索过。
01:24
There are so many许多 things
we still don't know about it.
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我们对它仍然知之甚少。
01:27
I think we can change更改 that.
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我认为我们可以改变这一现状。
01:30
I was drawn to oceanography海洋学
by just this kind of challenge挑战.
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这类的挑战让我
对海洋学产生了兴趣。
01:34
To me it represents代表
the perfect完善 intersection路口
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对我来说,这代表了科学,
技术以及未知的完美交融,
01:36
of science科学, technology技术 and the unknown未知,
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这导致了许多有关
地球生物的突破性发现。
01:39
the spark火花 for so many许多 breakthrough突破
discoveries发现 about life on our planet行星.
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01:46
As a college学院 student学生,
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当我还在读大学时,
01:47
I went on an expedition远征
across横过 the Atlantic大西洋
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我和一群科学家
在大西洋上进行远洋考察,
利用高强度激光
01:50
with a team球队 of scientists科学家们
using运用 a high-powered高功率 laser激光
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测量微型藻类。
01:54
to measure测量 microscopic显微 algae藻类.
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01:57
The wild野生 thing that happened发生 on that trip
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那次航行中有一个意外收获,
01:59
is that we discovered发现 what everyone大家
who looked看着 before had completely全然 missed错过:
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我们发现了之前被所有人
忽略了的东西:
02:04
photosynthetic光合 cells细胞
smaller than anyone任何人 thought possible可能.
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光合细胞比任何人想象的都要小。
02:09
We now know those tiny cells细胞
are the most abundant丰富
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现在我们知道这些
微小的细胞,是地球上
02:12
photosynthetic光合 organisms生物 on earth地球.
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最丰富的光合生物体。
02:15
This amazing惊人 discovery发现 happened发生
because we used new technology技术
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正因为我们采用了新的技术,
用新的方式来观察海洋中的生命,
02:20
to see life in the ocean海洋 in a new way.
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我们才得以有这一惊人的发现。
02:24
I am convinced相信 that the discoveries发现
awaiting等待 us in the twilight zone
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我深信,在那片过渡带中
等待我们发现的未知事物,
会同样令人激动。
02:28
will be just as breathtaking惊险.
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02:32
We know so little about the twilight zone
because it's difficult to study研究.
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我们对过渡带知道的太少了,
因为它很难研究。
02:36
It's exceedingly非常 large,
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它实在太大了,
从北极到南大洋,
02:38
spanning跨越 from the Arctic北极
to the Southern南部的 Ocean海洋
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覆盖全球。
02:40
and around the globe地球.
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不同地点还有所不同。
02:41
It's different不同 from place地点 to place地点.
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随着水流和动物的运动,
它也快速变化着。
02:44
It changes变化 quickly很快
as the water and animals动物 move移动.
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它是那么的深邃,黑暗,
寒冷,那里的压力也很大。
02:47
And it's deep and dark黑暗 and cold,
and the pressures压力 there are enormous巨大.
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02:53
What we do know is fascinating迷人.
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我们已经知道的就很不可思议了。
02:56
You may可能 be imagining想象
huge巨大 monsters怪物 lurking潜伏 in the deep sea,
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你可能想象着,
巨型怪物潜伏在深海,
03:01
but most of the animals动物 are very small,
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但那里的大部分动物都很小,
03:06
like this lantern灯笼 fish.
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就像这灯笼鱼一样。
03:11
And this fierce-looking凶猛的前瞻 fish
is called a bristlemouthbristlemouth.
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这种面目狰狞的鱼叫做圆罩鱼。
03:15
Believe it or not, these are the most
abundant丰富 vertebrates脊椎动物 on earth地球
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信不信由你,这是
地球上最多的脊椎生物,
它们大都很小,
这一管可以装下许多条。
03:19
and many许多 are so small
that a dozen could fit适合 in this one tube.
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03:25
It gets得到 even more interesting有趣,
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更有趣的是,
03:27
because small size尺寸 does not stop them
from being存在 powerful强大 through通过 sheer绝对 number.
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因为小的体型并没有阻止
它们通过数量变得强大。
03:32
Deep, penetrating入木三分 sonar声纳 shows节目 us
that the animals动物 form形成 dense稠密 layers.
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水下的穿透声呐向我们展示,
这些动物组成了厚厚的一层。
03:37
You can see what I mean
by the red and yellow黄色 colors颜色
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你可以从这组数据中
大约四百米处的红色和黄色
得到一个直观的概念。
03:39
around 400 meters in these data数据.
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大部分声波从这层反弹,
03:42
So much sound声音 bounces反弹 off this layer,
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它曾被误认为是海洋底部。
03:44
it's been mistaken错误 for the ocean海洋 bottom底部.
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03:48
But if we look, it can't be,
because the layer is deep during the day,
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但是如果我们仔细观察,这不可能,
因为这层物质在白天位于深处,
03:52
it rises上升 up at night
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而在夜晚它上升了,
而且这个模式每天都在重复。
03:54
and the pattern模式 repeats重复 day after day.
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03:58
This is actually其实 the largest最大
animal动物 migration移民 on earth地球.
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这事实上是地球上最大的动物迁徙。
04:02
It happens发生 around the globe地球 every一切 day,
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每天它都在全球范围内发生着,
以巨大的生物波浪
席卷全球的海洋。
04:05
sweeping笼统的 through通过 the world's世界 oceans海洋
in a massive大规模的 living活的 wave
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那时,过渡带中的生物会在夜晚
04:08
as twilight zone inhabitants居民
travel旅行 hundreds数以百计 of meters
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迁移数百米到水面觅食,
04:11
to surface表面 waters水域 to feed饲料 at night
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然后在白天回到更深、更暗,
相对安全的水体中。
04:14
and return返回 to the relative相对的 safety安全
of deeper更深, darker waters水域 during the day.
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04:19
These animals动物 and their movements运动
help connect the surface表面 and deep ocean海洋
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这些动物以及它们的运动
以重要的方式
04:24
in important重要 ways方法.
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连接着表层海面和深层海体。
04:26
The animals动物 feed饲料 near the surface表面,
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它们在海面觅食,
04:29
they bring带来 carbon in their food餐饮
into the deep waters水域,
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将它们食物中的碳带到深海,
有些碳可以留在那儿,
04:33
where some of that carbon can stay behind背后
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和大气圈隔绝几百,甚至几千年。
04:36
and remain isolated孤立 from the atmosphere大气层
for hundreds数以百计 or even thousands数千 of years年份.
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04:43
In this way, the migration移民
may可能 help keep carbon dioxide二氧化碳
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这么一来,迁移可以帮助吸收
04:48
out of our atmosphere大气层
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大气圈中的二氧化碳,
限制全球变暖对气候的影响。
04:50
and limit限制 the effects效果
of global全球 warming变暖 on our climate气候.
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04:55
But we still have many许多 questions问题.
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但我们仍有许多问题。
04:57
We don't know which哪一个 species种类 are migrating迁移,
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我们不知道何种生物在迁移,
它们吃些什么,
04:59
what they're finding发现 to eat,
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又被谁吃掉,
05:01
who is trying to eat them
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或是它们可以转移多少的碳。
05:02
or how much carbon
they are able能够 to transport运输.
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05:08
So I'm a scientist科学家
who studies学习 life in the ocean海洋.
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我是一名研究
海洋生物的科学家。
05:11
For me, curiosity好奇心 about these things
is a powerful强大 driver司机,
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对我而言,对这些生物的
好奇心是很强的驱动力,
05:16
but there's more to the motivation动机 here.
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但动机却远不止如此。
05:20
We need to answer回答 these questions问题
and answer回答 them quickly很快,
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我们需要回答这些问题,
并要尽快回答,
因为过渡带面临着威胁。
05:23
because the twilight zone is under threat威胁.
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05:27
Factory ships船舶 in the open打开 ocean海洋
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公海中的捕鱼船
05:29
have been vacuuming吸尘 up
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正在灭绝性地捕捉着
成百上千吨叫做
磷虾的小型虾类生物。
05:30
hundreds数以百计 of thousands数千 of tons of small,
shrimp-like像虾一样 animals动物 called krill磷虾.
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05:35
The animals动物 are ground地面 into fish meal膳食
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这些磷虾被碾碎制成鱼食,
05:37
to support支持 increasing增加 demands需要
for aquaculture水产养殖
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以支撑水产业,以及对
譬如虾油的保健品
不断增长的需求。
05:40
and for nutraceuticals保健品 such这样 as krill磷虾 oil.
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捕鱼业就要触及到更深的海域,
05:43
Industry行业 is on the brink边缘
of deepening深化 fisheries渔业 such这样 as these
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进入中层水体,
05:46
into the mid-water中水
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这可能会开启一场
在国家渔业管理范围之外的
05:48
in what could start开始
a kind of twilight zone gold rush
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过渡带的“淘金潮”。
05:51
operating操作 outside the reach达到
of national国民 fishing钓鱼 regulations法规.
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05:57
This could have irreversible不可逆转
global-scale全球规模 impacts影响
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这可能会对全球范围的
海洋生物和食物网
06:00
on marine海洋 life and food餐饮 webs.
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造成不可逆的影响。
06:04
We need to get out
ahead of fishing钓鱼 impacts影响
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我们需要领先捕鱼的影响一步,
06:07
and work to understand理解
this critical危急 part部分 of the ocean海洋.
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努力理解海洋中
这一重要组成部分。
06:10
At Woods树木 Hole Oceanographic海洋学 Institution机构,
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在伍兹霍尔海洋研究所,
我十分有幸加入有着
同样热情的同行队伍中。
06:12
I'm really fortunate幸运 to be surrounded包围
by colleagues同事 who share分享 this passion.
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06:17
Together一起, we are ready准备
to launch发射 a large-scale大规模 exploration勘探
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我们已经一起为
大规模的过渡带探索
06:21
of the twilight zone.
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做好准备。
06:23
We have a plan计划 to begin开始 right away
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我们计划从北大西洋的
06:25
with expeditions探险 in the North Atlantic大西洋,
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科考开始,
在那里我们会着手解决
06:27
where we'll tackle滑车 the big challenges挑战
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过渡带的复杂多样性
为观测和研究带来的巨大挑战。
06:29
of observing观察 and studying研究
the twilight zone's区的 remarkable卓越 diversity多样.
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06:34
This kind of multiscale尺度,
multidimensional多维 exploration勘探
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这一多规格,多层次的考察
06:38
means手段 we need to integrate整合
new technologies技术.
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意味着我们需要引入新的技术。
06:42
Let me show显示 you a recent最近 example
that has changed our thinking思维.
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让我说一个最近的例子,
这改变了我们的思考。
06:46
Satellite卫星 tracking追踪 devices设备
on animals动物 such这样 as sharks鲨鱼
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在譬如鲨鱼等动物
身上的卫星追踪器
06:50
are now showing展示 us that many许多 top最佳 predators大鳄
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告诉我们,许多顶层捕食者
会经常潜入深海觅食。
06:53
regularly经常 dive潜水 deep
into the twilight zone to feed饲料.
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06:57
And when we map地图 their swimming游泳的 patterns模式
and compare比较 them to satellite卫星 data数据,
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当我们绘制它们的游动路径,
并将其与卫星数据比较时,
07:02
we find that their feeding馈送 hot spots斑点
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我们发现它们经常觅食的地点,
与洋流和其他特质有着联系。
07:04
are linked关联 to ocean海洋 currents电流
and other features特征.
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07:08
We used to think these animals动物
found发现 all of their food餐饮 in surface表面 waters水域.
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我们曾经认为这些动物
在水体表层就能获得所有的食物。
07:13
We now believe they depend依靠
on the twilight zone.
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现在我们相信它们依赖着过渡带。
07:17
But we still need to figure数字 out
how they find the best最好 areas to feed饲料,
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但是我们仍需要搞清楚,
它们是如何找到最佳地点觅食的,
07:21
what they're eating there
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它们在那里吃些什么,
以及它们的饮食中有多少
是依赖过渡带生存的物种。
07:23
and how much their diets饮食 depend依靠
on twilight zone species种类.
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07:28
We will also need new technologies技术
to explore探索 the links链接 with climate气候.
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我们也需要新的技术
来探索(它们)与气候之间的联系。
07:33
Remember记得 these particles粒子?
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还记得这些微粒吗?
07:36
Some of them are produced生成
by gelatinous凝胶状 animals动物 called salps樽海鞘.
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它们中的有些是由一种
叫做樽海鞘的胶装动物产生的。
07:40
Salps樽海鞘 are like superefficientsuperefficient
vacuum真空 cleaners清洁工,
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樽海鞘就像强力吸尘器一样,
07:42
slurping up plankton浮游生物 and producing生产
fast-sinking快速下沉 pellets小球 of poop船尾 --
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吸食着浮游生物,并产生着
会快速下沉的排泄物颗粒——
想象把我的语速加快十倍——
07:48
try saying that 10 times fast快速 --
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携带着碳的排泄物,沉入深海。
07:50
pellets小球 of poop船尾 that carry携带 carbon
deep into the ocean海洋.
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07:54
We sometimes有时 find salps樽海鞘
in enormous巨大 swarms成群.
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有时,我们发现樽海鞘成群出现。
07:58
We need to know where
and when and why and whether是否
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我们需要了解哪里,
何时,为何,以及是否
这种“碳缸”会对地球气候
产生巨大的影响。
08:02
this kind of carbon sink水槽
has a big impact碰撞 on earth's地球 climate气候.
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08:07
To meet遇到 these challenges挑战, we will need
to push the limits范围 of technology技术.
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为了面对这些挑战,
我们需要推进技术的极限。
08:11
We will deploy部署 cameras相机
and samplers取样器 on smart聪明 robots机器人
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我们会使用智能机器人身上的
摄像头和样本采集器
08:15
to patrol巡逻 the depths深处 and help us track跟踪
the secret秘密 lives生活 of animals动物 like salps樽海鞘.
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在深处考察,帮助我们追踪
像樽海鞘这样生物的隐秘生活。
08:20
We will use advanced高级 sonar声纳
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我们会使用先进的声呐,
08:22
to figure数字 out how many许多 fish
and other animals动物 are down there.
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来搞清那里生活着
多少鱼类和其他动物。
08:27
We will sequence序列 DNA脱氧核糖核酸 from the environment环境
in a kind of forensic法庭的 analysis分析
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我们会用类似法医分析的方法,
对环境中的DNA进行测序,
08:31
to figure数字 out which哪一个 species种类 are there
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来搞清哪些生物生活在哪里,
以及它们吃些什么。
08:33
and what they are eating.
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08:36
With so much that's still
unknown未知 about the twilight zone,
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过渡带中充满着未知,
08:39
there's an almost几乎 unlimited无限
opportunity机会 for new discovery发现.
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也就意味着那里蕴藏着
新发现的无限可能。
08:44
Just look at these beautiful美丽,
fascinating迷人 creatures生物.
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看看这些美丽的,
令人着迷的生物吧。
08:48
We barely仅仅 know them.
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我们对它们几乎一无所知。
08:50
And imagine想像 how many许多 more
are just down there waiting等候
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想象一下,在深海中
有多少东西正等待着我们
用新的技术去发现。
08:53
for our new technologies技术 to see them.
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08:56
The excitement激动 level水平 about this
could not be higher更高 on our team球队
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我们全队的科学家,工程师和通讯员
都对这一发现兴奋至极。
08:59
of ocean海洋 scientists科学家们,
engineers工程师 and communicators传播者.
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09:04
There is also a deep sense of urgency.
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大家也都有了一种深深的急迫感。
09:08
We can't turn back the clock时钟
on decades几十年 of overfishing过度捕捞
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我们不可能将时光
倒转到过渡捕鱼之前,
09:12
in countless无数 regions地区 of the ocean海洋
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那时,捕鱼在曾经
看上去永不枯竭的
无数海域进行着。
09:15
that once一旦 seemed似乎 inexhaustible取之不尽,用之不竭.
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09:18
How amazing惊人 would it be
to take a different不同 path路径 this time?
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如果这次我们换条航线,
该有多好呀?
09:23
The twilight zone
is truly a global全球 commons公地.
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过渡带确实是一种全球公共资源。
09:27
We need to first know and understand理解 it
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我们首先需要知道并了解它,
09:30
before we can be responsible主管 stewards管家
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然后我们才能负责任的管理,
并进行可持续性的开采捕捞。
09:33
and hope希望 to fish it sustainably可持续.
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09:36
This is not just a journey旅程 for scientists科学家们,
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这不是一场事关科学家的旅程,
09:38
it is for all of us,
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这与我们所有人息息相关,
因为我们在接下来十年
09:40
because the decisions决定 we collectively make
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共同做出的决定,
09:43
over the next下一个 decade
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会影响数世纪之内,
09:45
will affect影响 what the ocean海洋 looks容貌 like
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海洋的形态。
09:48
for centuries百年 to come.
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09:50
Thank you.
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谢谢。
(掌声)
09:51
(Applause掌声)
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Reviewed by Lipeng Chen

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Heidi M. Sosik - Ocean scientist, inventor, explorer
Heidi M. Sosik is an ocean scientist who uses tools like lasers and robotic cameras to figure out how tiny organisms in the ocean affect our whole planet.

Why you should listen

Heidi M. Sosik is a scientist, inventor and explorer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she holds the Stanley W. Watson Chair for Excellence in Oceanography. Sosik leads a multidisciplinary team conducting long-term research on marine ecosystems and how they are changing in response to intersecting pressures from human activity, environmental variability and climate change.

During undergraduate engineering studies at MIT, Sosik became fascinated by the diversity of microscopic life in the ocean. This led her toward a doctorate in oceanography and a research career focused on discovery. Today she develops and deploys new technologies to see life in the ocean in new ways. Sosik is co-inventor of a robotic underwater microscope used by researchers around the world to study minuscule forms of life in the ocean and by coastal managers to ensure that seafood is safe to eat. Sosik has been recognized for her impact and leadership through honors including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and selection as a Fellow of The Oceanography Society.

Sosik's bold plan to explore the ocean's twilight zone is one of the first ideas of The Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire global change.

More profile about the speaker
Heidi M. Sosik | Speaker | TED.com