Ocean Reporting That Goes Beneath the Surface

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From stinky corals to transparency in Ghana’s fishery sector

The Pulitzer Center’s ocean reporting focuses on the threats of climate change, overfishing, biodiversity loss, and pollution, while exploring potential solutions. The initiative also supports projects on lesser-reported topics, such as deep-sea mining, marine geoengineering, blue carbon credits and offsetting, shipping, and more.

This week, we are highlighting recently published stories from Ghana, Venezuela, and South Africa supported by our ocean grants and the Ocean Reporting Network (ORN).

Barry Christianson traveled to four remote coastal communities in South Africa that are on the front line of national oil and gas exploration and climate impacts. His stunning photo essays can be seen in the Daily Maverick.

From Venezuela, Camille Rodríguez Montilla reported on a “stinky” invasive coral species that is smothering native varieties, with photos by Ana María Arévalo Gosen, published in The Washington Post. The story explores the counterintuitive phenomenon of some coral surviving better in degraded environments.

For Mongabay, ORN Fellow Philip Jacobson revealed the intricate networks involved in shark fin smuggling and the harmful impacts on marine ecosystems. The story highlights challenges in prosecuting wildlife traffickers, who are often involved in other criminal activity, from drug smuggling to human trafficking.

For iWatch Africa, Gideon Sarpong investigated the corruption plaguing Ghana's fisheries. Powerful figures exploit loopholes for personal gain, exacerbating overfishing and threatening the livelihoods of local fisherfolk. Following the investigation, the Registrar General's Department in Ghana issued a notice to all companies to "furnish the office with their current Beneficial Ownership info by June 30, 2024."

We are still accepting applications to join the second cohort of the Ocean Reporting Network, a Fellowship program that gives journalists the opportunity to spend a whole year working on an in-depth or investigative story. Journalists interested in collaborating on ocean stories with colleagues around the world can apply by May 26, 2024, at 11:59pm EDT.

Best,

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Impact

Pulitzer Center grantee Aurora Almendral has won a 2024 Hillman Prize for reporting on racial and economic justice. Almendral was recognized for her project Merchants of Care, investigating the consequences of U.S. and European hospitals hiring nurses from the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Jamaica following workforce strain related to COVID-19.  The investigation found an international bidding war for health care workers, yielding opportunities for some nurses but exposing others to exploitation—and leaving poorer health systems scrambling to cope.

In weeks following the publication, the founder of a placement agency in India profiled in the series was arrested. In Florida, nurses recently filed a class-action lawsuit against a hospital identified in the reporting. They told Almendral’s team that the investigation helped them to better understand their situation.

Read more about the award-winning project here.

Photo of the Week

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“For me, this image, and the feature I came away with, hopefully shows a surprising side to the climate change crisis we all face, and how Greenland is in a unique position to see more benefits than pitfalls in a changed future.”

—Bradley Secker

This message first appeared in the May 24, 2024, edition of the Pulitzer Center's weekly newsletter. Subscribe today.

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