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Off the coast of Vancouver Island, humpback whales inhabit waters where herring have been overfished.
在温哥华岛海岸，座头鲸生活在一片鲱鱼被过度捕捞的海域。
Humpbacks, however, are renowned for their ingenuity.
座头鲸有着丰富的创造力。
12 years ago, an adult male called Conger adopted a totally new way of feeding.
12年前，一头名为康格的雄鲸发明了一种全新的捕食方式。
When the density of fish in the water is low, and birds are diving to catch them, the humpback opens its mouth and creates a space that the fish mistake for shelter.
当水中的鱼类丰度过低，鸟类潜入水下捕鱼时，座头鲸大张嘴巴，使得鱼类误以为这里能够躲避捕食者。
The fish swim in, and the trap is closed.
鱼类纷纷涌入，陷阱随之合上。
Conger was the first humpback whale to be seen doing this.
康格是第一头被发现有如此行为的座头鲸。
Now 30 whales in the area use this same technique.
如今这片海域有30头座头鲸使用这种捕食技巧。
The population of humpbacks here is growing, and you might think that this would reduce fish stocks even more, but something surprising is thought to be happening.
此处的座头鲸数量正在增长，你可能会认为这会使鱼类数量愈发减少，然而令人惊讶的事情正在发生。
These tiny phytoplankton are the basis of the food chain and need a vital ingredient to grow. Iron.
这些微小的浮游植物是食物链的基础，它们的生长依赖于一种重要的营养成分。铁。
Whale faeces are rich in iron, and great whales produce it in enormous quantities, so the phytoplankton flourishes, and herring feed on it.
鲸鱼的粪便富含铁，大型鲸鱼排出大量粪便，浮游植物因此得以繁荣生长，为鲱鱼提供食物。
Whale faeces, in fact, are helping to restore the whole ecosystem.
事实上，鲸鱼粪便正在帮助整个生态系统复苏。
The herring attract seabirds, diving birds attack them from beneath, and gulls and shearwaters dive on them from above.
鲱鱼吸引海鸟前来捕食，潜入水下的海鸟从鱼群下方袭击，海鸥和海雀则从上方俯冲。
Even bald eagles benefit from this rich feast.
甚至白头海雕也能从盛宴中分一杯羹。
Astonishingly, even though Conger and all the other whales are feasting on fish, their role in fertilising the ocean is so influential that herring numbers here are actually predicted to increase.
令人惊讶的是，尽管康格等座头鲸对鱼类大快朵颐，但它们作为多样性生态系统不可或缺的一环，实际上使得这片海域的鲱鱼数量不降反增。
And the role they play in rejuvenating the environment is having an even greater impact on the human world.
这在恢复环境方面所发挥的作用，正对人类世界产生深远的影响。
The flourishing plankton also collects carbon from the atmosphere, just as trees do, so much so that each great whale has the same impact as a forest of 30,000 trees.
繁荣生长的浮游植物如同树木一样，吸收大量的二氧化碳，每头大型鲸鱼对于碳循环的意义相当于一片三万棵树的森林。
Our great whales were once hunted, and if they return to their pre-whaling numbers, it's estimated that this would be equivalent to planting over 30 billion trees.
大型鲸鱼曾一度遭到捕杀，如果鲸鱼数量能恢复到此前的数量，将相当于种植超过三百亿颗树。
Whales are now being recognised as benefiting humanity. But for most large animals, competition with humans brings conflict.
如今，鲸鱼被认为有益于人类。但对于大多数大型动物来说，与人类的竞争造成了冲突。
