It's just over 3,500 miles from New York City to the Katmai National Park in Alaska, but thanks to explore.org, it feels like The Huffington Post has moved its offices from the Big Apple to the banks of the Brooks River.
The organization's four HD live streams allow online visitors unlimited access to a marvelous scene that has become emblematic of the Alaskan tundra: Spawning salmon swimming upstream, trying desperately to squeeze past the brown bears that are there waiting for them.
With the availability of great drama on television, it's important to remember that nature presents heart-wrenching stories as well. Last week, a frightened bear cub was reunited with its mother after a tense 10 hour saga. This week, the park was home to a special episode of CSI: Criminal Bears, when the body of a female bear was discovered, leaving park rangers scrambling to put together the pieces trying to find the culprit...or culprits.
Of course, climate change presents the opportunity for a much sadder story. The brown bear population in Alaska is steady, but the sockeye salmon is more susceptible to the effects of climate change. Rising global temperatures could shrink the ocean habitats of the fish, making it more challenging for them to return to their home rivers.
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