Planet Watch

By Tam Gray, Jodie Morse, Michele Orecklin, Bill Saporito, Neang Seng, Joel Stein and Deborah Wells

OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS

You would think a company that makes its living carrying tourists to crystal-clear tropical waters would know better than to foul them. Apparently not. Royal Caribbean Cruises, the world's second largest cruise line, has pleaded guilty to federal charges that it pumped oil-contaminated bilge water into the ocean and tried to cover up its misdeeds for several years by lying to investigators and falsifying records. The company will pay a $9 million fine, $1 million of which is earmarked for conservation projects in Florida and Puerto Rico. It also promised not to do it again.

GOOD NEWS: SEA TURTLES ARE MAKING A COMEBACK

Prospects have been bleak for sea turtles lately, but at least two species, Kemp's ridley and the loggerhead, are enjoying something of a population boom. New turtle-safe nets and government efforts to protect the animals and their habitat have helped, but experts also credit volunteers who patrol the beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs, protecting and, when necessary, moving the nests.