马达加斯加的铁锈红水域

Iron-rich sediment colors the red-orange waters of the Betsiboka River Delta in Madagascar in this image taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station on Sept. 30, 2023. The sediment can clog waterways in the delta’s estuarial environment, but it can also form new islands that become colonized by mangroves. Despite its rusty color, this artery of water is important for biodiversity. Within the Betsiboka River Delta, the estuary supplies food, such as seagrasses, to the endangered green turtle and vulnerable dugong, or sea cow.

Text credit: Sara Schmidt

Image Credit: NASA

2023年9月30日，国际空间站上的一名宇航员拍摄了这幅图片，富含铁的沉积物使马达加斯加贝齐博卡河三角洲的水域呈现出橙红色。沉积物会堵塞三角洲河口环境中的水道，但也会形成新的岛屿，成为红树林的殖民地。尽管它是锈色的，这条水动脉对生物多样性很重要。在贝齐博卡河三角洲，河口为濒临灭绝的绿海龟和脆弱的儒艮(海牛)提供食物，如海草。

文字来源：Sara Schmidt

图片来源：NASA