TRAVEL
March 10, 2013 | By Brian E. Clark
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands - Sixty feet below the surface of the aquamarine western Atlantic, my 12-year-old daughter, Maddie, glided gently along the reef, her arms crossed in Buddha-like meditation. To the left, where the sea dropped off hundreds of feet, a black-tipped shark cruised ominously in the distance. A curious parrot fish, a school of yellow-striped grunts and a bug-eyed squirrel fish swam an arm's length away, perhaps hoping for a handout from our group of six divers and our guide.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
January 5, 2013 | By Mike Anton, Los Angeles Times
The ghosts of Christmas past can be found in some unusual places. The bottom of Lake Havasu, for instance. There, thousands of Christmas trees sunk by wildlife biologists have found a second life as fish habitat in an ecosystem damaged by the damming of the Colorado River decades ago. What nature once provided - a steady source of organic material such as brush and uprooted trees - disappeared when the once wild and muddy river was tamed....
NATIONAL
November 27, 2012 | By Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times
HANALEI, Hawaii - When compiling a list of places that may be described as paradise, Hanalei Bay on the rugged north shore of the island of Kauai surely qualifies. The perfect crescent bay, rimmed by palm trees, emerald cliffs and stretches of white sand, has always had a dreamy kind of appeal. It was on these shores that sailors in the movie "South Pacific" sang of the exotic but unattainable "Bali Ha'i. " The problem is what lies below the surface of the area's shimmering blue waters.
SCIENCE
October 2, 2012 | By Jon Bardin
The coral in Australia's Great Barrier Reef is rapidly disappearing due to a host of factors -- all of which are influenced by humans, according to a new study. The report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, tracksĀ coral cover over the last 27 years and finds levels have fallen by nearly 50%. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's most beloved natural attractions because of its remarkable array of sea life. But, according to researchers, a trio of factors has conspired to degrade the reef: tropical cyclones, attacks from the coral predator the crown-of-thorns starfish, and rising water temperatures.
SCIENCE
August 2, 2012 | By Jon Bardin, Los Angeles Times
If you're still skeptical that a tan can be dangerous, consider this: Scientists have found that wild fish are getting skin cancer from ultraviolet radiation. Approximately 15% of coral trout inAustralia'sGreat Barrier Reef had cancerous lesions on their scales. In that regard, they resemble Australians who live on land - 2 in 3 people who live down under will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70, the highest rate in the world. It's probably no coincidence that Australia is under the Earth's biggest hole in the ozone layer.
NEWS
May 29, 2012 | By Brady MacDonald
The weather forecast for Legoland California this summer calls for a 100% chance of getting 100% soaking wet. PHOTOS: Pirate Reef water ride at Legoland California The new Pirate Reef water attraction opened over Memorial Day weekend at the Carlsbad kiddie park with a pair of life-size Lego pirate ships flanking the splash zone of the classic shoot-the-chutes ride. For its relatively modest size, the 25-foot-tall attraction built by Florida-based Hopkins Amusement Rides generates a surprisingly enormous splash.