For 5 consecutive weeks, we launched the series "Ocean Zero Distance" exclusively at Bilibili. In the last episode, the two research vessels of Greenpeace "Polar Dawn" and "Hope" finally arrived at the end of the "From the North Pole to the South Pole" global expedition - the South Pole.
In antarctica for more than two months, we have carried out a number of Antarctic marine ecological environment studies with scientists: revisiting Antarctic Elephant Island, following 1971 to investigate the population status of the caped penguins on the island again; individual identification of humpback whales, collection of environmental DNA, and scientific understanding of the marine biodiversity of Antarctica.
The results of scientific expeditions and surveys show that Antarctic marine animals are increasingly affected by human activities
We went to Antarctica with two "global ocean ambassadors": Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard and Swedish actor Gusta Skarsgaard. They assisted scientists in "intimate contact" with whales in the way of underwater listening, and even felt the pure Antarctica that was commented by netizens that "every frame can be used as wallpaper".
Insert a hidden Easter egg: Want to land with scientists on Elephant Island to study penguins, or experience life on an Antarctic expedition ship? In the page of the "Ocean Zero Distance" program, there is also an interactive video, click on it, you can unlock the Greenpeace Antarctic expedition "cloud" experience.
The Antarctic, which is more remote and desolate than the Arctic, is actually home to many creatures. There are at least 10,000 species of marine life living in the Antarctic waters, many of which survive only in the waters of the Southern Ocean (poke the Chinese Antarctic scientific expedition pioneers to take you to understand the magical Antarctic underwater world, review the Antarctic scientific expedition pioneer Wang Zipan teacher to interpret Antarctic seabed life).
In this episode of Ocean Zero Distance, you'll see how a team of penguin researchers led by scientists from Stony Brook University and researchers from Greenpeace International Sciences conducted a scientific expedition in Antarctica to understand the state of antarctic marine ecosystems and the impact of human activities on this isolated world.
How do penguins count <h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >? Technology + hard work</h1>
One of the most important tasks of this Antarctic expedition is to revisit Antarctic Elephant Island after 49 years to investigate the population of cap-banded penguins on the island.
Why study penguins? It's really to understand the current state of the Antarctic ecosystem. The Antarctic continent is icy, cold and dry, and most Antarctic life lives in the ocean. Penguins connect the oceans and land of Antarctica, where they forage for food and return to land to breed and live. In addition, penguins are one of the top predators in Antarctica and are an important indicator of ecosystem health. Therefore, by studying and understanding penguins, we can not only understand the current situation of penguin populations, but also help to understand the "upstream" krill of the penguin food chain, and the "upstream upstream" of phytoplankton, helping scientists assess the health of antarctic ecosystems and the possible impacts of climate change and human activities on Antarctica.
Penguin trivia
There are 18 species of penguins in the world (some say 17), and only 5 species can accept the challenges of living in Antarctica. They are: Emperor Penguin, Adélie Penguin, Cap Belt Penguin, Long-crowned Penguin, Papua Penguin. The cap-and-band penguin is the most recognizable type of penguin. They look like they are wearing helmets, hence the name "hat belt penguins".
Why choose Koh Chang's hat belt penguins? Mainly because the cap-band penguin is one of the least studied penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula, and the last time the cap-striped penguin was studied on the subject island was in 1971. Therefore, revisiting after 49 years will not only deepen our understanding of the cap-and-band penguins, but also understand from the temporal dimension how the situation of this population has changed in the past 50 years.
An important step in studying the penguin population of Elephant Island is to figure out the number of penguins. In order to ensure that the data collected this time is comparable to the data from 49 years ago, the scientists used the method of manual counting, a total of 3 times, and ensured that the error of each count did not exceed 5%.
Scientists stand in the middle of the vast colony of penguins, listening to the cries of penguins while concentrating on counting, and the positive film with sound effects is more sensual
In addition to manual counting, scientists have also borrowed the latest technology, using drones and GPS technology to draw panoramic maps of islands and reconstruct three-dimensional terrain, using machine learning algorithms to help count, which can be described as "both retro and modern" research methods.
According to the data collected this time, it is sad that in the past 49 years, the number of penguins with caps on Elephant Island has declined significantly, and some populations have even decreased by more than 70% in the multiple penguin habitats surveyed.
Scientists cannot yet say for sure what caused the sudden decline in penguin populations. It could be because of climate change, it could be because of krill fishing, or it could be related to the loss of sea ice. But the trend toward a sharp decline in the population of these penguins in such a short period of time is indeed worrying.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > "Whale with Tail" Scientist reunited with an old whale friend after 8 years</h1>
In Antarctica, there is another animal that is also an important object of study for scientists - whales. Compared to penguin studies that are more concerned with population conditions, an important method of studying whales is individual identification. This time the scientists studied the humpback whale, and the pattern at the bottom of the tail leaf of each humpback whale is unique, just like the fingerprint of humans, scientists can identify and record each humpback whale by taking pictures of their tail leaves.
During this expedition, our scientists were also reunited in Antarctica with an "old friend", a humpback whale named Mir! The whale was discovered and documented by scientists in Chiriqui Bay off the coast of Panama in 2012, and after eight years, they reunited in the far South Pole.
Through the Global Photo Database HappyWhale.com, scientists also saw the whale appear in Antarctica in 2017. From Panama to Antarctica, cetaceans are truly the best at global travel.
Cetacean trivia
When we talk about whales, we may blurt out "whales", but in fact whales are not fish, but mammals living in the ocean. Cetaceans can be clearly divided into two categories: toothed whales and baleen whales, which are widely distributed in the world's oceans, and many species of whales continue to migrate long distances throughout their lives.
Whales living in vast oceans are also inadvertently influencing the global climate. Cetaceans excrete large amounts of feces during their long journeys, which provide abundant nutrients for the growth of various algae, which in turn are the food source for many species in the ocean and are the basis of the food chain. In addition, algae, through photosynthesis, absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is estimated that the amount of carbon captured by all algae worldwide is about equal to that of 4 Amazon rainforests!
The death of the whale has even been given a poetic name - whale fall. When the whale dies, its massive body slowly sinks to the bottom of the sea. Whale bones are broken down in stages by different marine life like relay batons. In the depths of the ocean, where food is poor, whale bones not only become a "big meal" for many marine organisms, but also create a place for them to survive and shelter, becoming an "oasis" of life under the sea.
Therefore, the fascinating and cute whale in the eyes of scientists has contributed to maintaining the ecological balance of the entire earth throughout its life.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > environmental DNA: the unique value of the "heavy taste" research method</h1>
In addition to penguins and whales that can actually see the "Buddha-figures" and do research, scientists have also tried to use technical means to learn more about the marine animals that "the dragon sees the head but does not see the tail". This is environmental DNA (eDNA) collection.
The so-called "environmental DNA" collection process is actually to filter the water and then intercept the DNA of various marine animals that float freely in the water. The next content is a bit heavy,so be prepared.
There is an idiom called "geese passing by", marine animals swim in the water, but also leave a variety of traces in the seawater, such as their molting skin, the mucus secreted by the epidermis, and excreted feces, and these substances contain animal DNA.
By DNA sequencing these substances, scientists can further confirm that any animals have ever appeared in the sampled area. For example, from the results of the sargasso sea study, scientists found that many information about spotted dolphins appeared in the same location; and then unexpectedly found information about deep-sea fish such as ferret, lanternfish, and catfish.
In addition to verifying existing knowledge or obtaining results that surprise scientists, more importantly, with the help of environmental DNA detection technology, scientists can more accurately understand when and where marine animals live.
Combining the results of a variety of studies, including penguins, whale tails, and environmental DNA, we can build large biological databases to determine whether certain seas play an important role in specific species and whether we need special protection in these areas.
© Greenpeace
(Photo: 30x30: A Blueprint for Global Marine Conservation, co-authored by scientists at the University of Oxford and York University, and Greenpeace, is it possible to make 30% of the world's oceans marine protected areas by 2030?) Demonstrated the possibility and options of "protecting 30% of the world's oceans")
The year-long "From the North Pole to the South Pole" expedition has come to an end. Together with scientists, ocean ambassadors, journalists and photographers from around the globe, we have witnessed the fragility of the world's oceans along the way:
Arctic warming is seriously affecting the most basic food source of marine animals - ice algae;
Turtles from the age of dinosaurs may not survive for generations in the face of climate change, fishing and plastic pollution;
Seamount ecosystems, an as-yet-unknown "oasis of life" deep into the oceans, threatened by fishing;
Marine fish stocks are on a sharp drain in the face of destructive and unsustainable industrial fishing;
The penguin population on The Antarctic Elephant Island has rapidly declined in just 50 years and has even suffered catastrophic breeding failures.
Illegal shark fins © Pierre Gleizes/Greenpeace, found on an Italian fishing boat in Sierra Leone, April 15, 2017
But the ocean also shows us its beauty, its vitality and its enormous potential for self-healing:
Instruments made from Arctic ice floes play the clearest and most natural music;
Little leatherback turtles break out of their shells on the beach, making the first difficult but determined step towards the ocean;
Rock lobsters from The Vima Sea Mountain, which were once endangered by fishing but revived by timely protection;
Coral reefs at the mouth of the Amazon that are ill-lit and ill-salinity but still vibrant;
Even in the coldest part of the world, the Antarctic ocean is still full of life and vitality.
Christian Åslund/Greenpeace, a cap-and-cap penguin © on Elephant Island, Antarctica, January 10, 2020
Guard the oceans, not only because she is facing a crisis, but also for all this beauty, vitality, and the possibility of being able to regain her health.
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