A lab where scientists for weeks ntis time get an up close look at how Climate Change is altering life on the ocean floor. Buried alive the frantic tarch for survivors after an fvalanche hits a swiss ski resort. And former prisoners change peir lives by taking the stage ind writing their own second act. This is the Cbs Evening News with norah odonnell. Garrett good evening, yoeryone. Norah is off tonight. Im Major Garrett. We begin with postholiday headaches for millions of travelers, especially those on the road. According to a prediction from da. A. , today, the day after holidays, and for many, itsp aiving up to its billing. A powerful snowstorm shut down two of the nations busiest interstates today in, of all eftces, southern california. That left cars and trucks stranded for hours. Elsewhere, theres been heavyra. That messy mix is expected to push all the way to new england over the next few days. Tll get to the forecast in a moment, but first, jamie yuccas leads us off with tough
manatees are, they are dying. a record number, more than a thousand. the mass dieoff boils down to pollution. fertilizer runoff from farms and lawns, leaking sewage from industrial solution. it makes its way into florida watersheds and creates algae blooms that crowds off clouds out sunlight killing off sea grass, the main food of the manatee. for the first time, starvation rather than boat propellers account for most of the manatee fatalities. if the sea grass isn t as abundant as it was. they have to go elsewhere for food. most of the 1,000 plus manatee deaths have happened
of. fertilizer runoff, leaking sewage and industrial pollution making its way to the florida watershed creating toxic oxy blooms. they kill off tens of acres of sea grass. the main diet of the mammals. manatee carcasses on the shoreline. starvation rather than boat propelors account for most of the manatee fatalities. the sea grass isn t as abundant as it was and they have to go a longer distance to try to find food. it takes calories and energy and puts a strain on the manatee. there is help. florida wildlife and sea world rescue and rehab the manatees more than 50 this year like this mom and her calf rescued from south carolina. the big cows are fed, tagged
w we re losing sea grasses. faster than we re losing why judge why are we losing dhem. reporter: more and more, the world s oceans and what they can for greenhouse gases and for global warming is becoming a crucial part of climate science. and that study is made a whole lot easier if you can live down here. the scientists have discovered that the sea grass isn t growing back as it should because there are too many turtles eating it, and there are too many turtles because there are too few sharks.reatching what s going on around them, and if their buddy gets eaten they re not going to do what their buddy is doing. reporter: so just having sharks in the area, what you re nying, controls the number of turtles eating the sea grass. absolutely. reporter: and that s the kind of thing you only learn being part of the undersea world, not just visiting it from above. prk phillips, cbs news, on the aquarius reef base.