We've all seen the movies where a monster, created by a scientist in a laboratory, escapes to wreak havoc on the outside world.
我们都在电影中看到过由科学家在实验室创造出来的某个怪兽，出逃并蹂躏了我们的世界。
But what if the monster was not some giant rampaging beast, destroying a city,
但是，如果这个毁灭城市的生物不是某些巨大狂暴的怪兽，
but just a tiny amount of seaweed with the potential to disrupt entire coastal ecosystems?
而仅仅是一小簇有着破坏整个沿海生态系统的能力的海藻呢？
This is the story of Caulerpa taxifolia, originally a naturally occurring seaweed native to tropical waters.
这便是杉叶蕨藻的故事，追溯其源，它来源于热带水域，是一种自然生长的原生海藻。
In the 1980s, one strain was found to thrive in colder environments.
20世纪80年代，发现了一簇生长在寒冷环境中的海藻。
This trait, combined with its beautiful, bright green color
它们还有着美丽的、亮绿色外表，
and ability to grow quickly without maintenance made it ideal for aquariums,
并且无需养护，迅速生长，是水族箱中的理想的清道夫，
which it helped keep clean by consuming nutrients and chemicals in the water.
因为它们可以吸收水中的养料和一些化学物质。
Further selective breeding made it even heartier, and soon it was used in aquariums around the world.
精选培育的品种就更贴心了，很快便广泛用于世界各地的水族馆中了。
But it was not long before a sample of this aquarium-developed super algae turned up in the Mediterranean Sea
但不久，在地中海区域发现了这种为了适应水族馆特别培育的超级海藻，
near the famed Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.
就在著名的摩纳哥海洋博物馆附近。
The marine biologist who found it believed that
发现海藻的海洋生物学家相信
the museum had accidentally realeased it into the ocean along with aquarium waters,
这是海洋博物馆在倾倒水族箱中的水时无意将海藻也一同倒入了海洋之中，
while museum directors claimed it had be carried into the area by ocean currents.
然而博物馆负责人坚称它们是随着洋流飘落到这里的。
Regardless of how it ended up there, the non-native Caulerpa multiplied rapidly,
不究其源，这种外来杉叶海藻迅速繁殖，
having no natural predators due to releasing a toxin that keeps fish away.
没有自然天敌，因为它们释放出一种毒素以驱赶鱼群。
And like some mythical monster, even a tiny piece that broke off could grow into a whole new colony.
就像某种神秘怪兽一样，即使掉落的一小片海藻都能长成一个新的完整海藻群落。
Through water currents and contact with boat anchors and fishing lines,
通过水流作用，或者携挂在船锚和钓鱼线上，
it fragmented and spread throughout Mediterranean coastal cities covering coral reefs.
海藻在整个地中海海岸城市传播生长开来，覆盖在珊瑚礁上。
So what was the result of this invasion? Well, it depends on who you ask.
这样的入侵，会导致怎样的结果呢？这取决于对于谁人而言。

Many scientists warned that the spread of Caulerpa
很多科学家警告说，杉叶海藻的蔓延
reduces biodiversity by crowding out native species of seaweed that are eaten by fish,
会侵占本地海草物种的生存地，导致生物多样性锐减，而本地海草是鱼类的食物，
with the biologist who first discovered its presence dubbing it Killer Algae.
因此最先发现海藻存在的生物学家称呼它们为杀手海藻。
Other studies instead claim that the algae actually had a beneficial effect by consuming chemical pollutants
另一些研究却声称，这些海藻实际上是有益的，它们能吸收一些化学污染物，
one reason the aquariums strain was developed.
正是如此，才培育了水族馆专用海藻。
But the disruption of a natural ecosystem by an introduced foreign species
但是通过引入外来物种对自然生态系统的破坏
can have unpredictable and uncontrollable effects that may not be immediately visible.
有着不可预见亦不可控制的结果，也许在短期内无法察觉到这些破坏。
So when Culerpa taxifolia was discovered at Carlsbad's Agua Hedionda Lagoon, near San Diego in the year 2000,
所以在2000年，杉叶海藻被发现出现在圣地亚哥附近的卡尔斯巴德的黑迪翁达礁湖中，
having most likely come from the dumping of home aquarium water into a connecting storm drain,
它们可能是家庭水族箱在倾倒废水时通过连接的排水管道传播的，
it was decided to stop it before it spread.
人们决定采取措施控制其蔓延。
Tarps were placed over the Culerpa colonies and chlorine injected inside.
防水布被铺放在海藻群上，并注入了氯气。
Although this method killed all other marine life trapped under the tarps,
虽然这项举措杀死了所有防水布之下的海洋生物，
it did succeed in eradicating the algae and native eelgrass was able to emerge in its place.
但是，根除海藻行动的确成功了，而且使得本地的鳗草在此地生存。
By responding quickly, authorities in California were able to prevent Culerpa from propagating.
加州当局反应迅速，海藻的疯长得以控制。
But another occurrence of the strain, in the coastal wetlands of southeast Australia, was left unchecked and allowed to spread.
但是海藻的另一股势力在澳洲西南部的海岸湿地处迅速蔓延，无法控制。
And unfortunately, a tarp cannot cover the Mediterranean Sea or the Australian coast.
而不幸的是，一块防水布无法覆盖整个地中海或者是澳洲海岸。
Invasive species are not a new problem, and can indeed occur naturally.
物种入侵并不是一个新难题，在大自然中时有发生。
But when such species are the results of human directed selective breeding or genetic modification
但是当这一入侵物种经过人工挑选培育或者基因优化后
and then released into the natural environment, their effect on ecosystems can be far more radical and irreversible.
再被投放回大自然，他们对生态系统的影响将是更彻底而又无法挽回的。
With the proliferation of new technologies and multiple threats to the environment,
随着新技术不断衍生，以及对自然环境出现了越来越多的威胁，
it is more important than ever for scientists to monitor and evaluate the risks and dangers,
比以往任何时候更重要的是，科学家应当关注考量所有的风险危害。
and for the rest of us to remember that what starts in our backyard can effect ecosystems half a world away.
而对于我们来说，应当牢记那些种植在我们后院的植物，或许会影响到另外一个半球的生态系统。