Ama-coral—Asengozini Futhi Ayafa
AKUKHO lapho ulwandle lucwebe khona njengaseziNdaweni Ezishisayo. Lucwebe cwé. Isihlabathi esimhlophe esijule ngamamitha angu-15 sibonakala siseduze sengathi ungasithinta! Faka izicathulo zokubhukuda nesivikela-buso. Lungisa i-snorkel sakho njengoba ungena emanzini afudumele, amagwebu ekusitha okwesikhashana. Khona-ke bheka phansi. Laphaya! Bheka ama-parrot fish amakhulu abomvu naluhlaza ehlafuna i-coral futhi ekhafula izingcezwana, eziba ingxenye yesihlabathi esiphansi. Ngokungazelele, inhlanzi yasezindaweni ezishisayo enombala wothingo ocwebezelayo—obomvu, ophuzi, oluhlaza, owolintshi, onsomi—idlula ngokuphazima kweso. Kuphithizela izinto eziphilayo. Ubamba ongezansi.
Lesi isinindolo sama-coral. Sisuka phansi esihlabathini, sinamagatsha amaningi aphilayo. Ngaphambidlana nje kukhona i-coral enhle enjengezimpondo zephiva, enobude nobubanzi obungaphezu kwamamitha ayisithupha. Ebangeni eliqhele ngamamitha angaba ngu-23 kukhona i-coral enjengezimpondo zendluzele, encane kunenjengezimpondo zephiva, amagatshana ayo agcwalise lendawo njengehlathi. Yeka ukuthi lama-coral aqanjwe kahle kanjani—acishe afane nezimpondo zezilwane! Izinhlanzi nezinye izinto eziphilayo zasolwandle zithola ukudla nesikhoselo emagatsheni awo.
Njengoba kwake kwacatshangwa ukuthi yakhiwe izitshalo, i-coral manje yaziwa ngokuthi i-limestone eyakhiwe izilwane okuthiwa ama-polyp. Ama-polyp amaningi mancane, anobukhulu obungaphansi kwamasentimitha amabili nengxenye. I-polyp ethambile ye-coral izihlanganisa neseduze kwayo ngojengezi oluthile. I-coral ibukeka njengetshe emini, njengoba ama-polyp engena emagobolondweni awo. Kodwa ebusuku iyaguquka njengoba amagatsha ayo alulekile enyakanyakaza, enza lezi zixhobo zama-coral zibukeke zithambile, zilufifi. “Isihlahla” esisatshe ama-polyp asihlanganyelayo siyigobolondo lawo, elihlanganiswe ndawonye i-calcium carbonate ekhishwa amanzi olwandle.
Uhlobo ngalunye lwe-coral lwakha igobolondo lwayo elihlukile. Emhlabeni wonke, kunezinhlobo zama-coral ezingaphezu kuka-350, ezinokuma, ubukhulu, nemibala emangalisayo. Amagama awo avamile asikhumbuza ngezinto ezisezweni—ama-coral ayizihlahla, izinsika, amatafula, noma izambulela—noma asikhumbuze ngezitshalo—ama-coral ayizimbali, ulethisi, amajikijolo, noma amakhowe. Uyayibona leya coral enkulu enjengobuchopho? Kulula ukubona ukuthi yalithola kanjani igama layo!
Lesi sinindolo esingaphansi kwamanzi sigcwele izinto eziphilayo, kusukela ezitshalweni nezilwane ezincane kuya ezinhlanzini ezinkulu eziyisicaba, oshaka, imibokwane emikhulu ye-moray, nezimfudu zasolwandle. Futhi lapha kunezinhlanzi okungenzeka awukaze uzwe ngazo—inhlanzi ephuzi ngokugqamile i-clown, ama-Beau Gregory ansomi, ama-Moorish idol amnyama namhlophe, inhlanzi i-trumpet ewolintshi, i-surgeonfish eluhlaza ngokunsundu, ama-hamlet aluhlaza ngokunsomi, noma i-lion-fish enombala onsundu nompofu. Futhi kuthiwani nge-barbershop shrimp, ama-lobster anemithende, noma ama-hawk fish abomvu? Kukhona yonke imibala, ubukhulu, nokwakheka. Ezinye zinhle, ezinye ziyinqaba—kodwa zonke ziyakhanga. Bheka, kune-octopus ngalé kwaleya nsika yama-coral! Idla imbaza eyivulile. Njengasezinindolweni ezisezweni, kunentilibathwa yezinto eziphilayo ezihlukahlukene kulendawo yasolwandle, zonke ezithembele ezintweni ezinhlobonhlobo ezikuyo. Umjikelezo wokuzalana kwama-coral nekhono lawo lokuhamba emagagasini olwandle ukuze ayokwakha izixhobo ezintsha kwaningilizwa kumagazini i-Phaphama! ka-June 8, 1991.
Izixhobo zama-coral ziyizinto ezinkulu emhlabeni. Ezinye zazo, iGreat Barrier Reef, ngasogwini olusenyakatho-mpumalanga ye-Australia, zingamakhilomitha angu-2010 futhi zihlanganisa indawo engalingana neNgilandi neScotland kuhlangene. I-coral ingaba nesisindo esingamathani amaningana nokuphakama okungamamitha angaphezu kwangu-9 ukusuka ekujuleni kolwandle. Izixhobo zama-coral zimila kuwo wonke amanzi asezindaweni ezishisayo angajulile ekujuleni okungamamitha angaba ngu-60. Zinezici ezihlukahlukene kuye ngendawo, ngakho ngokuhlola ucezu lwe-coral, ochwepheshe bangasho ulwandle ngisho nendawo lapho ibimile khona. Indawo edingekayo ukuze kumile izixhobo zama-coral kufanele ibe nezakhi zokudla ezilinganiselwe emanzini, okwenza ukuba ulwandle lucwebe ngendlela engavamile endaweni akuyo. I-coral ithola ukudla olwelweni (ngokwesayensi okuthiwa i-zooxanthellae), olutholakala emzimbeni we-polyp okhanyayo, kanye nasezilwaneni ezincane ezibanjwa emagatsheni e-coral. Umphumela uba isixhobo sama-coral esiyikhaya lezinkulungwane zezinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane ezilwandle ezingenasikhoselo.
Futhi izixhobo zama-coral ziyizimiso zezinto eziphilayo ezikhiqiza kunazo zonke olwandle. I-U.S.News & World Report yakuchaza ngalendlela: “Izixhobo zama-coral zingokuthile okufana namahlathi emvula asezindaweni ezishisayo, zigcwele izinto eziningi eziphilayo: ama-sea fan nama-sea whip anyakazayo, ama-crinoid anezimpaphe, izinhlanzi ezinombala okhanyayo nezipanji, ama-shrimp, ama-lobster nama-starfish, kanye noshaka abesabekayo nemibokwane emikhulu ye-moray. Konke kuthembele ekukhiqizweni okuqhubekayo kwama-coral ukuze kube nendawo yokuhlala.” Futhi izixhobo zama-coral zisekela izinto eziphilayo ezweni ngokuba umngcele phakathi kwamagagasi anamandla nogu nangokubeka isisekelo seziqhingi eziningi zasezindaweni ezishisayo.
I-coral ephilile insundu, iluhlaza okotshani, ibomvu, iluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, noma iphuzi, kuye ngokuthi hlobo luni lolwelwe olukuyi-polyp ekhanyayo yama-coral. Izitshalo ezincane zolwelwe zisebenzisa ukukhanya kwelanga okukhanyisa izilwane ezihlala kuzo bese zimunca ukungcola okukhishwa ama-polyp, kuhlanganise nesikhutha, ukuze zithole ukudla. Nge-photosynthesis, ulwelwe nalo lunikeza ama-coral umoya-mpilo, ukudla, namandla. Lokhu kubambisana nolwelwe kwenza ama-coral akhule ngokushesha futhi aphile emanzini asezindaweni ezishisayo angenazo izakhi zokudla. Kokubili kunezitshalo nezilwane ezinhle. Yeka umklamo wobungcweti nokuhlakanipha!
Amagobolondo Amhlophe Angaphili
Akumangalisi ukuthi kunomsebenzi omningi kangaka owenziwa ngaphansi kolwandle! Kodwa bheka, kuyini lokhuya? Amagobolondo amhlophe angaphili. Amagatsha anqamukile futhi ayawohloka. Amanye asevithikile kakade. Lengxenye yehlathi lama-coral ifile noma iyafa. Azikho izinhlanzi. Awekho ama-shrimp. Awekho ama-lobster. Akukho lutho. Ugwadule lwangaphansi kwamanzi. Ugqolozela lendawo ungakholelwa. Yeka ukuthi kushaqisa kangakanani! Okuhlangenwe nakho kwakho okujabulisayo kuyonakala. Ngisho noma usuphindele esikebheni, kusenemibuzo ekukhathazayo. Ingabe yini ebangelé lencithakalo? Ingozi? Isifo? Izimbangela ezingokwemvelo? Ufuna izimpendulo.
Nakuba ama-coral anjengetshe ebukeka eqinile, antekenteke ngokudlulele. Ngokuwathinta umuntu angawalimaza, ngakho ababhukudi abahlakaniphile bayakugwema ukuwathinta, futhi abahamba ngezikebhe abaqikelelayo bayakugwema ukufaka amahange abo kuwo. Ezinye izingozi kuma-coral ukungcola okubangelwa amakhemikhali, ukuchitheka kukawoyela, ukukhucululwa kwendle, ukugawulwa kwemithi, izibi zamapulazi, ukumba, ukufaka imfucumfucu, nokudungwa kwamanzi ahlanzekile. Ukushayiswa ngokuqondile izikebhe kwenza umonakalo. Futhi amazinga okushisa aphakeme noma aphansi ngokweqile angalimaza futhi abulale ama-coral. Lapho icindezeleka, i-coral ikhipha ulwelwe lwayo ngobuningi, futhi izinhlanzi ziludla ngokushesha. Uma izimo ezicindezelayo ziphikelela amasonto noma izinyanga, i-coral iba mhlophe bese iyafa. Futhi lapho i-coral ifa, indawo yesixhobo sama-coral iyafa. Izinto eziphilayo ziyawohloka futhi zinyamalale.
Ukuba mhlophe kwama-coral sekusakazeke kuzo zonke izilwandle zasezindaweni ezishisayo. Ngenxa yalokho, kukhona ukwesaba emkhakheni wezesayensi yasolwandle emhlabeni wonke. Lapho lama-coral amaningi eba mhlophe, umonakalo awulungiseki. Izinga lomonakalo wokuba mhlophe kwama-coral nokufa kwawo ngenxa yalokho liye lalethwa ekunakekeleni kwabantu kabuhlungu yilokho okuye kwenzeka kuzo zonke izilwandle zasezindaweni ezishisayo emhlabeni eminyakeni yamuva nje. Nakuba ama-coral eye aba mhlophe ngezikhathi ezithile nasezindaweni ezithile iminyaka eminingi, umonakalo wamanje awukaze ube khona ngaphambili futhi ungowezinga lembulunga yonke. Okuthile bekulokhu kuhlasela izinhlobonhlobo eziningi zama-coral aphilayo emhlabeni wonke, kwabangela ukuwohloka kwezindawo zezixhobo zama-coral.