Managing diving impacts on reef ecosystems: Analysis of putative influences of motivations, marine life preferences and experience on divers' environmental perceptions

Lucrezi, Serena; Saayman, Melville; Merwe, Peet van der

doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2013.02.020

Cited by 42 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…In the present study, crowding did not affect the perceived environmental impacts of either diving or whale watching. Some research suggests that divers understand the gravity of diving impacts (Anderson and Loomis, 2011;Lucrezi et al, 2013) whereas other studies show that divers were unable to determine their impacts or rate damage correctly, suggesting the need to implement better visitor regulations and education Main and Dearden, 2007). The need for the latter may apply also to the present case study, where there are limited regulations for diving.…”

Section: Crowding Did Not Increase Perceived Environmental Impactsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Crowding in marine environments: Divers and whale watchers in the Azores

Bentz

Rodrigues

Dearden

et al. 2015

Ocean & Coastal Management

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Section: Crowding Did Not Increase Perceived Environmental Impactsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Crowding in marine environments: Divers and whale watchers in the Azores

Bentz

Rodrigues

Dearden

et al. 2015

Ocean & Coastal Management

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“…Reefs that are in relatively better condition may attract dive tourism because of their rarity. Reefs with high degradation may sustain low levels of tourism from inexperienced divers more interested in the excitement and experience of diving (Lucrezi, Saayman, & Merwe, 2013). Declines in water quality and sand production may affect beach aesthetics and other waterbased activities.…”

Section: Underwater Recreation (Cultural)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Coral reef ecosystem services in the Anthropocene

et al. 2019

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Coral reefs underpin a range of ecosystem goods and services that contribute to the well‐being of millions of people. However, tropical coral reefs in the Anthropocene are likely to be functionally different from reefs in the past. In this perspective piece, we ask, what does the Anthropocene mean for the provision of ecosystem services from coral reefs? First, we provide examples of the provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting services underpinned by coral reef ecosystems. We conclude that coral reef ecosystem service research has lagged behind multidisciplinary advances in broader ecosystem services science, such as an explicit recognition that interactions between social and ecological systems underpin ecosystem services. Second, drawing on tools from functional ecology, we outline how these social–ecological relationships can be incorporated into a mechanistic understanding of service provision and how this might be used to anticipate future changes in coral reef ecosystem services. Finally, we explore the emergence of novel reef ecosystem services, for example from tropicalized coastlines, or through changing technological connections to coral reefs. Indeed, when services are conceived as coming from social–ecological system dynamics, novelty in services can emerge from elements of the interactions between people and the ecosystem. This synthesis of the coral reef ecosystem services literature suggests the field is poorly prepared to understand the changing service provision anticipated in the Anthropocene. A new research agenda is needed that better connects reef functional ecology to ecosystem service provision. This research agenda should embrace more holistic approaches to ecosystem service research, recognizing them as co‐produced by ecosystems and society. Importantly, the likelihood of novel ecosystem service configurations requires further conceptualization and empirical assessment. As with current ecosystem services, the loss or gain of services will not affect all people equally and must be understood in the context in which they occur. With the uncertainty surrounding the future of coral reefs in the Anthropocene, research exploring how the benefits to people change will be of great importance. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13318/suppinfo is available for this article.

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“…The diver types also differ in other aspects such as demographics, experience, or interests. For example, the majority of recreational SCUBA divers are males, well educated, have high incomes, and around 5 years of diving experience (Edney, 2012;Lucrezi et al, 2013). Dive instructors usually have advanced skills but are of a similar age as recreational SCUBA divers (Watson and Pulford, 2004).…”

Section: Lack Of Information About the Diversity Of Divers In Citizenmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Does the Diversity of Divers Affect the Design of Citizen Science Projects?

et al. 2019

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Divers have widely participated in citizen science (CS) projects and are one of the main groups of marine citizen scientists. However, there is little knowledge about profiles of, and incentives for potential divers to join CS projects. To date, most studies have focused on the SCUBA diving industry; nevertheless, there is a diversity of divers, not all using SCUBA, who engage in different activities during their dives. Differences in diver profiles could affect their willingness and ability to contribute to CS. In this study, we compare the diving profile, interests, preferences and motivations to participate in CS of five diver types (artisanal fishermen, recreational divers, instructors, scientific divers, and others). All divers have strong interests in participating in CS projects, with no major differences among diver types. In general, they are interested in a wide variety of themes related to CS but they prefer simple sampling protocols. Divers are motivated to participate in CS to learn about the sea and contribute to science. Some important differences among diver types were found, with artisanal fishermen having significantly more dive experience than other diver types, but less free time during their dives and limited access to some communication channels and technologies. These characteristics make them ideal partners to contribute their local ecological knowledge (LEK) to local CS projects. In contrast, recreational divers have the least experience but most free time during their dives and good access to cameras and communications channels, making them suitable partners for large-scale CS projects that do not require a high level of species knowledge. Instructors and scientific divers are well-placed to coordinate and supervise CS activities. The results confirm that divers are not all alike and specific considerations have to be taken into account to improve the contribution of each diver type to CS. The findings provide essential information for the design of different types of CS projects. By considering the relevant incentives and opportunities for diverse diver groups, marine CS projects will make efficient gains in volunteer recruitment, retention, and collaborative generation of knowledge about the marine environment.

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Managing diving impacts on reef ecosystems: Analysis of putative influences of motivations, marine life preferences and experience on divers' environmental perceptions

Cited by 42 publications

References 74 publications

Crowding in marine environments: Divers and whale watchers in the Azores

Crowding in marine environments: Divers and whale watchers in the Azores

Coral reef ecosystem services in the Anthropocene

How Does the Diversity of Divers Affect the Design of Citizen Science Projects?

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