Webler, T., Jakubowski, K.

Characterizing harmful behavior of divers and snorkelers to coral reefs in Puerto Rico through systematic observation and testing the effectiveness of pre-trip media-based interventions

2013

Greenfield, MA

Social and Environmental Research Institute (SERI)

16

Final Report

"This report summarizes our findings on the recreational misuse of coral reefs by divers and snorkelers in Puerto Rico. There is widespread consensus that recreational misuse is damaging reefs, but the magnitude of the issue is unknown. This is an important issue because tourism is a significant economic force in Puerto Rico and sustenance of healthy reef ecosystems is essential to its productive survival. The ecotourism industry, by in large, recognizes the value and importance of coral reefs to their sustainability as businesses, and have supported our research. Damage to the reefs is usually caused by the inappropriate behavior of individual divers and snorkelers and not the behavior of the industry and is something the tourism industry has a hard time to control. While tour operators give careful and clear instructions for how to behave at the reef, divers and snorkelers don't always listen or act appropriately. Researchers at the Social and Environmental Research wanted to determine if the latest science on the theory of human behavior with regard to environment would help come up with strategies that the eco-tour operators could put in place to encourage pro-environmental behaviors. Over the past two years, we made in-water observations of recreational visitors to Puerto Ricos coral reefs. Using a systematic observational protocol, we observed snorkelers and divers at various reef locations and counted the number of contacts visitors made with reefs. Over 300 in water observations of snorkelers were made. We found that during the time snorkelers were over the reef, they had 0.26 contacts per minute with the reef. A subset of the people who were observed also made self-reports of their behavior. We evaluated the accuracy of self-reports and found that snorkelers who completed self-report surveys under reported their harmful behaviors by a factor of seven. Over 150 observations of divers were made. We found that, during the time divers were near the reef, they contacted the reef 0.53 times per minute. SCUBA divers that were both surveyed and observed under reported their harmful behaviors by a factor of seven. Next, we developed coral reef etiquette messages for divers and snorkelers to view before visiting reefs on a tourist vessel. We evaluated existing messages and found them to be inconsistent with social science theories of behavior and behavior change. Instead we designed and developed a new coral reef etiquette video message based on the Value, Belief, Norm theory of environmental behavior. Since March of 2012, the video message has been shown to hundreds of snorkelers and divers before they boarded a vessel. On board, visitors were also asked to sign a pledge stating commitment to specific behaviors. Post-treatment in-water observations found that snorkelers contacted the reef 0.034 times per minute. That is an 87% reduction in the coral contact rate. Furthermore, the percentage of snorkelers who never touched the reef shot up from 64% to 93%. Divers who watched the video also dramatically reduced the number of times they contacted the reef. The rate for divers fell from 0.56 to 0.14 contacts per minute. That is a 75% reduction in the coral contact rate. This research suggests the pre-trip messaging together with a written pledge can change proximal behaviors, thus improving the ability of eco-tourism operators to help sustain reefs as well as the economic livelihoods of their employees."

NOAA CRCP grant NA10NMF4630072

NA10NMF4630072