匯天下丨鯨魚隕落：一鯨落，萬物生（Whale fall: Death and living）

5th。Apr。2020 Death is often associated with grief and desperation， as life fades from the world， never to return。 However， these are not the only meaning of death， as death sometimes could be magnificent and splendid， just like the whale fall that happens in the deep sea。 死亡往往伴隨著悲傷和絕望，生命從世上消失，永不復歸。但是，這些並不是死亡的唯一意義，死亡有時是輝煌而絢爛的，就像深海中的鯨魚隕落。 Recently， scientists on a Chinese research vessel called Tansuo-1 discovered a whale fall in the South China Sea。 This is the first time China has discovered the whale fall。 Whale fall is the carcass of a whale falling onto the sea floor with a depth greater than 1000 meters。 As a concentrated food source and energy bank for organisms in deep sea， whale fall can sustain the community that is developed around it for months to decades。 最近，中國考察船探索一號的科學家在南海發現了一條鯨魚的隕落。這是中國首次發現鯨魚隕落。鯨魚隕落是指鯨魚的屍體掉落到海底，深度超過1000米。鯨魚隕落作為深海生物的集中食物來源和能源庫，可以維持維持周圍的生態系統數月至數十年。 In different stages of decomposition during the whale fall， the tissues become food for animals and microorganisms。 The bones will excrete hydrogen sulfide， which is a very important element providing energy to microbes。 在鯨魚隕落的不同階段，它的身體組織會變成海底動物和微生物的食物。骨頭會排出硫化氫，這是微生物能量來源的重要元素。 Whale fall has a beautiful metaphor – the “oasis” of life in deep sea。 Though its body decays eventually， the contribution it makes will last in nature。 鯨魚隕落有一個美麗的比喻：深海生命的“綠洲”。儘管它的身體最終會腐爛，它所作的貢獻將在自然界中永存。 Sources：CGTN&Nat Geo Wild 來源：中國國際電視臺、國家地理野生頻道 Video Editor：Liu chang fang da 影片編輯：劉暢方達