The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "ocean" ...
-
Plunder in the Pacific
"Plunder in the Pacific," an eight-country investigation, revealed how Asian, European and Latin American fleets have devastated what was once one of the world’s great fish stocks. Jack mackerel in the South Pacific has decreased from around 30 million tons to less than three tons in just two decades. We found that national interests and geopolitical rivalry for six years blocked efforts to ratify a regional fisheries management organization that could impose binding regulations to rescue jack mackerel from further collapse. Bound only by voluntary restrictions, fleets competed in what amounted to a free-for-all in no man’s water.
Tags: Pacific; ocean resources; fisheries
-
"Barnegat Bay Under Stress"
This series of stories investigates the gradual demise of Barnegat Bay, the "largest coastal estuary" in New Jersey. Reporters found that thousands of pounds of fertilizer and other "land-borne pollution" is flowing into the bay. The investigative series resulted in Gov. Chris Christie shutting down a nearby nuclear power plant and earmarking millions of dollars for "special environmental control funding."
Tags: Gov. Chris Christie; pollution; wildlife; stormwater; Oyster Creek; nuclear power plant; estuary; fertilizer; jellyfish; Ocean Gate; Toms River; EPA
-
Rohingya: A Forgotten People
This investigation reveals abuse committed by the Thai Military against Rohingya minorities fleeing from Burma. The Thai Military would intercept Rohingya boats with refugees aboard and tow them out to the middle of the sea and leave them without adequate supplies. Being without food and water many of the Rohingya refugees died, but the numbers are unclear as to how many people actually died.
Tags: Thailand; Myanmar; ocean; islands; human rights; Prime Minister; Abhisit Vejjajiva; boatpeople; Muslim; safety; persecution
-
"Fighting New Jersey's Tax Crush"
The Abury Park Press takes an in-depth look at the tax system in New Jersey. Based on empirical evidence, reporters found New Jersey's system to have the highest costs in the nation due to property taxes being based on the "what the town says" is the worth of your house. Low- and middle-income homes are paying more than the wealthy, and many businesses are being forced to close or move out of the state due to tax increases.
Tags: Chris Christie; Ortley Beach; Ocean County Board of Taxation; Monmouth County; Lacey Tax Collector; Keyport; Chris Daggett; Jon S. Corzine; New Jersey State League of Municipalities
-
A Life at Sea, A Life at Risk
In one of the most dangerous occupations in America, the fishing industry is facing government regulations which obstruct the industry and make it more dangerous. This series also focuses on the economic impact, which extends far beyond the sea to the seafood that is reaching consumers. Furthermore, the challenges facing the US fishing industry are foreign competition and changes in trends and technology.
Tags: fishing; New Jersey; safety; ocean; sea; seafood; economy; regulations; fisheries
-
The Jasons: The Secret History of Science's Postwar Elite
Author Ann Finkbeiner examines the history and activities of JASON. The JASON Defense Advisory Group is a group of university scientists, mostly physicists, who gather every summer to work on specific problems for the government. These problems are often military, and often classified. The group began in 1960, and counted Manhattan Project alums as some of its early members. Now, they are responsible for such innovations as the electronic battlefield, the laser guide star, a three-dimensional mapping system of the ocean's temperatures, which is used for oceanography studies and to chart global warming, and Star Wars (or Startegic Defense Initiative), the attempt to find a countermeasure for hostile ICBMs. The group is completely independent in its decision-making and in the choosing of its members, though it is funded largely by government organizations.
Tags: JASON; national defense; Manhattan Project; science; physicists; secret goverment organizations; technology; Star Wars; SDI
-
A Perilous Place to Play, Navigate
The Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri is the third-most accident-prone waterway in the U.S., after the Atlantic Ocean and the Colorado river, according to U.S. Coast Guard boating accident data from 1995-2004.
Tags: Lake of the Ozarks; boats; accidents; boating accidents; Coast Guard
-
Damaged Shield?
Most U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carriers have a special chemically engineered shield between the ships' inner and outer hulls. The shield is meant to protect the carriers, but this investigation found that in many ships the shield is ineffective and flawed. The Navy contractor responsible for the shielding job says that it often cut corners and took shortcuts. As a result, many aircraft carriers are at greater risk for damage from attack.
Tags: armed forces; Navy; ocean; shipyards; USS Cole; government contracts; hulls
-
Special Report: 17 Years of Ocean Dumping
The KBS team obtained a South Korean government report documenting years of industrial pollution in the East Sea. They interviewed fishermen who said their catches were contaminated. Analysis of sampled crabs revealed high concentrations of heavy metals in them. The story includes on-site examination of a location where pollutants were discharged into the sea. The investigators looked at the British government's solutions to offshore dumping in British waters.
Tags: water pollution; ocean; sea; South Korea; environment; marine; crabs
-
Blind Eye
This series analyzes the problems and failures of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The center lacks funds and up-to-date instruments, and sometimes expensive equipment fails in severe weather conditions. The two hurricane hunter turboprop planes that belong to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are frequently unavailable to track hurricanes because they are diverted to other jobs that have little or nothing to do with weather.
Tags: National weather service; hurricanes; meteorology; weather predictions