Civil Beat Series On Threats To Northwest Hawaiian Islands Wins National Award
‘Guardians Of The Deep’ took readers to the farthest tip of the Hawaiian archipelago.
Civil Beat has been awarded an Online Journalism Award for excellence in science reporting for its coverage of environmental and political threats to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
The series, Guardians Of The Deep, explored the work of marine scientists in the monument, which is in the crosshairs of both climate change and the Trump administration. Journalist Nathan Eagle accompanied the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration team on a three-week trip to the farthest reaches of the Hawaiian archipelago.
With notebook, camera, drone and scuba gear, Eagle joined the scientists in sharky waters on dozens of dives as they checked up on the reefs, counted the diverse fish — thousands found nowhere else in the world — and returned to sites suffering from rising seas, stronger storms and a “devil seaweed” smothering swaths of coral the size of football fields.
On his return, journalists April Estrellon and Kawika Lopez collaborated on the layout and presentation of the multi-part project. They share the award from the Online News Association, which honors excellence in digital journalism from around the world.
The judges said the project “brought the scientific process to life with on the ground reporting, strong visuals and an approachable voice-infused storytelling that married science with Native Hawaiian wisdom. There was a clear sense of urgency and audience connection.”
In the months since the series published, the political assault on the monument has continued, with the administration opening up other protected Pacific waters to commercial fishing and suggesting Papahānaumokuākea could be next. A judge recently temporarily halted the fishing expansion, saying that public input had been inadequate.
The award is the second national recognition for Guardians Of The Deep, which previously received a National Headliners Award for online beat reporting in health and science. Finalists for the OJA award included two projects by ProPublica, a national investigative newsroom, one on links between formaldehyde and cancer and the other on the recycling of plastics.
Civil Beat’s coverage of climate change and the environment is supported by The Healy Foundation, the Marisla Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.
