About five years ago, when Dylan Vecchione was seven years old, he began to observe changes in the coral reef off the coast in west Maui, a popular tourist destination.’   ’I noticed that the coral at the Kahekili Reef wasn’t looking so good,’ said Vecchione, now 12, who has gone to Hawaii at least twice a year since he was a toddler because his parents have had a timeshare on Ka’anapali Beach paralleling the reef. ‘I asked my dad what was happening to it.’   Maurizio, a scientist, business entrepreneur and co-founder of the IDEAS Studio in Pacific Palisades, couldn’t answer the question, which started Vecchione’s exploration of coral reefs’why they are disappearing and what can to be done to save them.   Since then, the 12-year-old has published a brochure, conducted a survey of the Kahekili Reef, and started a grass-roots environmental project, which led him to build a Web site (www.reefquest.org).   When he started his research, Vecchione learned that coral reefs are sometimes called the ‘rainforests’ of the ocean because they are ecologically important ecosystems, as well as a source of food and medicine and protect the coast from wave erosion.   Vecchione was worried when he learned that in the past 20 years more than 35 million acres of coral reefs have disappeared. Even though reefs are home for 25 percent of all marine species, they occupy less than one-tenth of one-percent of the world’s ocean surface (about the size of Colorado).   Shortly after asking his initial question, Vecchione was at the beach with his father and saw several University of Hawaii naturalists. The scientists told them the reefs were in distress and in danger of disappearing because they were ‘bleaching,’ meaning the coral starts to expel the algae zooxanthellae, which is how the coral receives its nutrients. Once the algae are expelled, coral loses color and may eventually die, eventually decimating the reef.   ’The naturalists said that they were measuring the nutrient levels in the water and then the nutrient level from the island runoff,’ said Vecchione, who is a sixth grader at PS #1 in Santa Monica. He noted that coral and the zooxanthellae are symbiotic; the coral benefits from the photosynthesis and the algae lives off the nitrogen and carbon dioxide wastes from the coral.   Vecchione said that there could be several reasons for the death of the reef, including climate change, ocean acidification, cyanide fishing for aquarium fish (spraying a sodium cyanide mixture into the fish’s habitat in order to stun the fish) and urban and agricultural runoff.   He took action by writing a brochure, ‘ReefQuest: Learn About Kahekili Reef,’ printing 50,000 copies, and walking along the heavily populated beach and passing it out to tourists. His brochure suggests places to snorkel on Kahekili Reef, but it also gives invaluable suggestions for protecting the reef.   He writes: ‘Suntan lotion is also acidic; it kills the reef, even the waterproof varieties.’ Instead of lotion, Vecchione wears a rash guard when he’s on the beach or in the ocean.   He asks people not to feed the fish off-shore, because they are part of the coral reef ecosystem that helps keep algae in check by grazing on it. When snorkeling he asks people to look, but not touch the coral. He also asks people to stand on sand if they are in a coral reef, not on the coral organisms.   ’One woman went in the water and started shouting, ‘Ouch, there’s rocks,” Vecchione said. ‘She was stepping on coral and destroying it.’   Vecchione also took his brochure to the Westin Hotel and spoke to the general manager. Not only did the manager agree to give it to every guest who checks in, the hotel is now paying the brochure’s printing costs. Last summer, Vecchione and his father sailed around Maui and took pH samples of the water to determine if there was a pattern to areas that are more or less acidic. To their knowledge no one has tested the water away from shore.”   ’It is usually higher acidity, the closer you get to shore,’ Maurizio said, wondering if there was anything happening on shore that would justify that relationship. He noted that Maui has 15 county ‘injection’ wells. More than 14.6 million gallons of wastewater go into the sewer system, with about 11.4 million gallons reclaimed. The excess, which has solids and contaminants removed, is sent to injection wells that range in depth from 180 to 385 feet.   Officials thought that the wastewater discharged into wells was absorbed by natural geologic formations, which then completed the treatment by natural filtering through rock and sand layers. Recent research shows that the treated water, which contains nitrogen, might be leaking to portions of the coral reef, upsetting the pH balance and slowly destroying the reef.   ’You can see that it is reef, then more reef, then bleached reef, and then the reef stops where the underground water comes out,’ Vecchione said.   With help from his dad, Vecchione started his own Web site, which is hosted by IDEAS Studio to support his grass roots ReefQuest project.   He conducted a survey of the Kahekili Reef that was one of the first in Hawaii to be accepted by NOAA’s (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration) for its Coral Watch global monitoring database. In addition to NOAA, Vecchione found sponsors for his work at UC San Diego, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of Queensland, Australia, and the University of Hawaii.   According to Vecchione, chapters of ReefQuest outside Hawaii have been established to replicate ocean preservation work in other locations, including one at Paul Revere Middle School.’Currently, there are eight ReefQuest surveys underway, five in Hawaii and three in California. He urges those interested in preserving reefs, especially those with access to marine habitats and coral reefs, to participate in citizen science-based projects.   ’The scientific community doesn’t have current data on coral health,’ Vecchione said. ‘They’re asking citizens to get involved. They have a protocol, a do-it-yourself coral health monitoring kit designed specifically for an ordinary person, which allows one to note the health of the coral, based on color, and then send it to the Web site [www.coralwatch.org].’   Until he visits Hawaii again this spring, Vecchione is bringing his crusade to Santa Monica Bay, where he and other students from PS #1 will take off-shore water samples next month to measure chemicals and other elements. Although the Bay receives ocean quality grades, the grading is based on shore testing and the father/son team are interested in seeing what they might find in the bay water.   Already busy with schoolwork and ReefQuest, Vecchione takes piano and singing lessons, and also sails for the California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey. He’s on the junior racing sail team and qualified for the national competition. Most importantly, this energetic, well-spoken, optimistic youth is well liked. This past year he was awarded the sailing sportsmanship award, based on a vote by his peers.

Baritone Jose Perez to Perform with St. Matthew’s Orchestra   Music at St. Matthew’s continues on Friday, January 21, at 8 p.m. with a program of vocal and orchestral music by Rossini, Haydn, Respighi, Mozart and others at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda.   The concert features operatic baritone Jose Adan Perez, a native of Mazatlan, Mexico, and an alumnus of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program of LA Opera.   A dramatically expressive singer possessing a rich, ample baritone of significant presence, Perez opened the 2010/11 LA Opera season as Di Cosimo in the world premiere of Daniel Cat’n’s ‘Il Postino,’ sharing the stage with Placido Domingo. Later this year, Perez will make his New York City Opera debut in ‘L’elisir d’amore,’ performing the role of Bel Core. Last summer he made his Hollywood Bowl debut as Danca’re in ‘Carmen’ with the L.A. Philharmonic under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel.   Perez’ roles on the LA Opera stage include both Figaro and Fiorello in ‘Il barbiere di Siviglia’ and the Second Senator in the American premiere of Franz Schreker’s ‘Die Gezeichneten’ under the baton of James Conlon. His LA Opera debut came in 2008 as Marcello in two student matinee performances of ‘La boh’me.’   The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s, under the direction of Thomas Neenan, will accompany Perez in operatic arias by Rossini and Mozart as well as zarzuela selections by Torroba and Grever. The orchestra will also perform Respighi’s popular ‘Ancient Airs and Dances’ and Haydn’s Symphony No. 63, ‘La Roxelanne.’   Perez has consistently distinguished himself in his musical pursuits. After receiving an engineering degree from Tecnologico de Monterrey, he was awarded a scholarship to Mexico’s most prestigious Young Artist Training Program, the Sociedad Internacional de Valores Art’sticos Mexicanos, where he began his formal vocal training. He has been a winner of many important competitions and scholarships.   For program details, tickets ($35) and other information, visit: musicguildonline.org or call (310) 573-7422. Tickets are available at the door. ‘ Baritone Jose Adan Perez

  Merv and Natalie Cooper, who live in Santa Monica Canyon, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on December 19.   To commemorate this special occasion, they vacationed at the Sheraton Kauai Resort in Hawaii from December 6-16 and hosted a luncheon for their family at the Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica.   Their daughter, Heather Michelle Cooper, her husband, Rick Grandy, and their baby, Juliette, attended the luncheon along with their daughter Melanie Elaine Yevilov, her husband, Kelvin, and their 4-year-old twins, Ayden and Evan. Natalie’s sister, Marilyn Barlow, her partner, Irv Grace, and son, Brett Barlow and his wife, Julie, also attended.   Since Merv’s sister Ruth Reidbord and her husband, Marv, could not visit in December, the Coopers celebrated with them on January 7. Melanie and Heather’hosted dinner and a trip to the Walt Disney Concert Hall to see Gustavo Dudamel conduct the L.A. Philharmonic.   Finally, the Coopers will travel to Moscow in July to take a river cruise to St. Petersburg, followed by a trip to Helsinki, Finland.   ’Natalie and I feel most fortunate and blessed to have’grown up with each other, having married when she was 18, and I was 22, and to still be very much in love with one another after 50 years,’ Merv said.

‘Multiple Visions: A Group Exhibit of the Creative Photography Workshops,’ is currently on view through January 29 at the Edward Cella Art & Architecture Gallery, 6010 Wilshire Blvd. (across from LACMA).   Contributing artists include Pacific Palisades residents Debbie Alexander, Maria Kolligian and Jan Woods.   The exhibit features several of Tracey Landworth’s intermediate and advanced students.   A second-generation Angeleno and longtime teacher of photography with an MFA from Pratt Institute, Landworth and her experienced staff offer courses for students of all ages and abilities.   Alexander, who has been studying with Landworth for four years, thinks of her teacher as her ‘photography mother and my fellow classmates as my photography family.’   For years, Alexander had been satisfied with taking ‘happy’ snapshots, recalling that on vacation her family lost patience with her for constantly taking photos.   Her friend Jill Stein encouraged her to join Landworth’s class, where she said she began to get serious.   ’At first, it was quite a challenge to break from convention and become more abstract with my work,’ Alexander says, adding that it was difficult to move from being a documentarian to doing more interpretive work. ‘That is where my classmates come in, because they can see what I don’t and offer constructive criticism.   ’I am constantly experimenting with techniques,’ Alexander continues. ‘In ‘Eye Spy Painters I-IV,’ I played with shadows, while in ‘The Bean I-IV,’ I worked with reflections.’   She plans to work more in these areas while further pursuing her series on workmen doing their jobs.   ’I’ve worn out my Rebel Xti by constantly experimenting with what I can achieve by looking through that viewfinder,’ Alexander says. ‘When magic occurs, I become more confident in my ability and feel an incredible sense of instant gratification with my work. I feel my imagination knows no boundaries, so my photographic possibilities are endless.’   She also wants to continue contributing occasional essays and feature articles (often illustrated by her photographs) to the Palisadian-Post.   Edward Cella Art & Architecture Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and by appointment.