科学家利用卫星从太空发现鲸鱼搁浅

科学家利用卫星从太空发现鲸鱼搁浅

Scientists have begun using satellites that can produce high-resolution imagery in an effort to monitor whale strandings from space, according to an investigation by the British Antarctic Survey and four Chilean research institutes.

根据英国南极调查局(British Antarctic Survey)和四家智利研究机构的一项调查，科学家们已开始使用可生成高分辨率图像的卫星，从太空监测鲸鱼搁浅情况。

They believe a new technique for analyzing satellite images could revolutionize how stranded whales are detected in remote places.

科学家们认为，一种分析卫星图像的新技术，可能会彻底改变在偏远地区发现搁浅鲸鱼的方式。

In 2015, more than 340 whales were involved in a mass stranding in a remote region of southern Chile. Evidence of the stranding wasn’t discovered for several weeks due to the inaccessible nature of the area on the Chilean coast — with aerial and boat surveys assessing the extent of the damage several months after it was discovered, according to the study published in Plos One journals.

2015年，超过340头鲸鱼在智利南部一个偏远地区大规模搁浅。根据发表在《公共科学图书馆·综合》期刊上的研究报告，由于智利海岸地区交通不便，数周后才发现搁浅的证据。在发现搁浅的几个月后，利用航空和船只的调查评估了损失程度。

“The aerial survey was done on a huge scale and was very impressive, but it’s possible some of the carcasses got washed back out to sea in storms and simply weren’t counted. The 343 number was only ever a best estimate,” BAS whale expert Dr Jennifer Jackson told the BBC.

“这次航测规模巨大，给人留下了深刻印象，但有可能一些尸体在风暴中被冲回大海，根本没有计算在内。343这个数字是有史以来最好的估计。”鲸鱼专家珍妮弗·杰克逊博士告诉BBC。

Because of the delay, many of the whales went missing and their decomposed bodies made it hard for scientists to determine how they died. One satellite image counted several fewer whales than the original aerial photo and substantially more in the second picture taken, possibly alluding to the fact many had washed away by the time the non-satellite aerial photos were taken.

由于延误，许多鲸鱼失踪了，它们腐烂的尸体让科学家很难确定它们是如何死亡的。一幅卫星图像显示，与第一张航拍照片相比，鲸的数量少了几头，而在第二张照片中，鲸的数量则大大增加，这可能暗示了一个事实:在拍摄非卫星航拍照片时，许多鲸已经被冲走了。

They say the use of satellites could make the discovery effort in finding whale strandings more efficient and less costly. They also believe it will inform scientists of information they weren’t able to see before with planes and boats, according to the investigation.

他们说，利用卫星可以使发现鲸鱼搁浅的工作更有效，成本更低。调查显示，他们还认为，这将为科学家提供他们以前无法通过飞机和船只看到的信息。