Levels of intervention – reducing SCUBA-diver impact within subtropical marine protected areas

Hammerton, Zan; Bucher, Daniel J

doi:10.1080/14724049.2015.1073738

Cited by 36 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…This is particularly relevant in regard to divers using photographic equipment, as these individuals regularly use the reef to stabilise against whilst taking photos and/or filming underwater (Hammerton & Bucher, 2015;Rouphael & Inglis, 2001;Uyarra & Côté, 2007). Numerous scholarly studies have recorded and reported the issue of diver contacts (Barker & Roberts, 2004;Camp & Fraser, 2012;Chung, Au, & Qiu, 2013;Di Franco, Marchini, Baiata, Milazzo, & Chemello, 2009;Harriott et al, 1997;Medio et al, 1997;Zakai & Chadwick-Furman, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Prior to participating in LID training, over half of all participants displayed poor awareness of their individual contacts. This is important, as lack of awareness is a common catalyst for diver contacts occurring as evidenced in previous studies (Barker & Roberts, 2004;Hammerton & Bucher, 2015;Medio et al, 1997). Due to this, it was relevant to test participant self-assessment on their individual number of contacts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…However, this is not the case for all destinations, or divers, when information given during dive briefings was largely ignored (Luna, Pérez, & Sánchez-Lizaso, 2009;Worachananant, Carter, Hockings, & Reopanichkul, 2008) and when additional in-water intervention is required to reduce contacts (Hammerton & Bucher, 2015). In some instances, divers' lack of compliance with instructions to avoid contact with the reef is due to a lack of diver's skill (Hammerton, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Education to overcome environmental impacts from divers is an area of diver education that needs to be prioritised, particularly when negative environmental impacts caused by SCUBA divers at high conservation reefs can be high (Dearden, Bennett, & Rollins, 2007;Hammerton & Bucher, 2015;Walters & Samways, 2001;Worachananant et al, 2008;Zakai & Chadwick-Furman, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Strategies to reduce diver contacts at a given site include: (1) limiting the number of divers (Davis & Tisdell, 1995); (2) broad-based education focused on reef conservation (Dearden et al, 2007); (3) detailed pre-dive briefings where divers are informed of the reason why contact is detrimental to the reef (Barker & Roberts, 2004;Medio, Ormond, & Pearson, 1997) or (4) dive 'marshals' actively intercepting divers' during their dive to reinforce the need for minimal contact (Hammerton & Bucher, 2015;J. Hyde, personal communication, August 9, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Low-impact diver training in management of SCUBA diver impacts

Hammerton

2016

Journal of Ecotourism

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SCUBA divers make a range of accidental and intentional contacts with the benthos during each reef visit. Reefs with high levels of diving tourism can be subjected to major impacts. Whilst strategies currently exist to reduce diver contacts, including pre-dive briefing and carrying-capacity approaches, significant impacts still occur. This study tested the effectiveness of Low-Impact Diver (LID) training on 183 certified SCUBA divers. The aim was to assess if specific training could provide divers with the skill base to avoid, or significantly reduce, contact with the reef, regardless of certification or experience level. Students completed a single pre-training dive, in which a set of tasks was completed to the best of their current ability and which could be used as a baseline for comparison with a similar post-course completion dive. Regardless of an individual diver's certification, or experience level, LID training was shown to significantly reduce contact with the benthos during subsequent dives. This study demonstrated a clear deficiency in current entry-level diver training standards and shows that divers from all experience levels are capable of learning and applying LID techniques. This study presents evidence that LID techniques provide a viable ecotourism management strategy to reduce diver impacts globally. ARTICLE HISTORY

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Low-impact diver training in management of SCUBA diver impacts

Hammerton

2016

Journal of Ecotourism

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The influence of protection and temperature on subtropical reef fish assemblages in Cape Byron Marine Park

Hammerton

Bucher

Page

2019

Aquatic Conservation

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Diver‐held video transect surveys at a subtropical reef complex in eastern Australia documented a significant difference in the fish assemblages eight years after the area was closed to fishing. Average sea temperatures at depth were 1–3°C warmer during the second survey period, and autumn averaged 5–6°C warmer than spring. Large differences in fish assemblages between the seasons in 2006 were not observed in subsequent 2014 surveys. Rather than any general shift towards greater topicalisation of the assemblage in warmer conditions, the difference between the assemblage sampled in the coldest sample period and the three warmer periods was a lower frequency of occurrence of both tropical and non-tropical species and decreased asymptotic species richness. Species that were otherwise rare, which consisted of a higher proportion of tropical species, were more likely to be absent in colder conditions. This was particularly so at the deepest and coldest location. Therefore, in this region warmer waters tend to increase the richness and abundance of most fish, but particularly rare tropical species. Protection from fishing since 2005 also contributed to the inter‐year differences with increased abundance of most fishery‐targeted species regardless of climatic affinities in 2014.

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A Framework for Managing Diver Impacts on Historic Shipwrecks

Edney

2016

J Mari Arch

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Levels of intervention – reducing SCUBA-diver impact within subtropical marine protected areas

Cited by 36 publications

References 72 publications

Low-impact diver training in management of SCUBA diver impacts

Low-impact diver training in management of SCUBA diver impacts

The influence of protection and temperature on subtropical reef fish assemblages in Cape Byron Marine Park

A Framework for Managing Diver Impacts on Historic Shipwrecks

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