For many people orca whales are very familiar. Think Shamu. We've even given the wild killer whales of the Pacific Northwest individual names. But there's still a lot we don't know, like where the whales go and what they eat. Now that they're listed as endangered, those have become important questions. Liam Moriarty accompanied a research crew trying to get answers.

Some cities are looking at taking away parking on residential streets and replacing it with shallow ditches full of native plants that filter stormwater. It's a way to reduce the polluted runoff that flows into lakes, rivers and the ocean. As Ann Dornfeld reports, not everyone is thrilled with the idea.

Slimy, hungry invaders are moving through the waters off the Northwest coast of the US. They're called invasive tunicates -- or sea squirts. And they're the same invasive species that devastated shellfish farms on Canada's east coast. If invasive tunicates aren't controlled, you could see a lot of seafood options disappear from markets and menus. Ann Dornfeld has the story.

We hear a lot about carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But half of all man-made CO2 is stored in the world's oceans. When CO2 mixes with water, it increases the oceans' acidity. As Ann Dornfeld reports, that acidification is moving closer toward the oceans' fragile coastal areas.

Many state wildlife agencies can't or won't take in injured or abandoned critters. They rely on a lot of volunteers to do the job. One woman in Idaho has made it her life's work to give orphaned bear cubs throughout the West a second chance. Sadie Babits brings us this profile.

More than two million acres in nine states could soon become permanent wilderness. Congress is expected to vote on the plan today. Sadie Babits recently visited one of the sites, Mount Hood in Oregon.

Back in February, President Obama proposed $150 billion to employ people in "green collar jobs." The idea was to create jobs that benefited the environment. But he also wanted to boost the economy. A ski resort wanted to be one step ahead. So it hired a new employee to help its 2,500 acres "go green." Irene Noguchi reports.

The Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest historically has been a super highway for salmon. But dams, development, and pollution have taken their toll on salmon. The fish have declined to the point that several species are endangered. Now the salmon face another threat, sea lions. As Sadie Babits reports wildlife managers are trying to get rid of the sea lions to protect the salmon.