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John Nielsen
National Public Radio
"Seeking Answers to Dolphin Death Mystery"
21 March 2005
Nielsen took listeners on a hunt for clues on why 65
dolphins stranded themselves in a mangrove swamp near
the town of Marathon in the Florida Keys. Many of the
animals died. As marine scientists were cutting up the
dolphin carcasses, Nielsen was on the scene, providing
his audience a graphic experience in hands-on research
as well as an intriguing description of the matriarchal
dolphin society that may have triggered the stranding
event.
Dan Vergano of USA Today called the segment "a
beautifully executed piece, with great use of on-the-scene
sounds and very human quotes from the scientists involved."
"This is a beautifully written piece that humanizes
science in a way seldom seen," said Lauran Neergaard
of the Associated Press. "You feel you're there,
you feel [the scientist's] passion for his work."
Nielsen said the story started out as a look at whether
Navy sonar had affected the dolphins -- the evidence
suggests it had not -- and turned to a closer look at
Bill McClellan, the federal government's "go-to-guy"
for marine mammal post mortems. "He turned out
to be so interesting we just followed him," Nielsen
said.
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