Abstract
The ocean is intrinsically linked to human health as it provides food and wellbeing, yet shifts in its dynamics can pose climate-ecological risks, such as harmful algal blooms (HABs) that can impact the health and economy of coastal communities. For decades, Ecuadorian coastal communities have witnessed seasonal algal blooms, events that are driven by factors including complex ocean-climate interactions, nutrient availability, and ecological variables. However, little is known about the risk perceived by coastal populations regarding such events. Understanding how specific groups of people in specific places perceive HABs risks is critical for communicating, promoting, and regulating public health measures. This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of fishermen, restaurant owners, and coastal authorities in relation to harmful algal blooms, or ‘red tide’ events, in coastal Ecuador. Methods utilized in this study include a non-probabilistic sampling approach for the two studied populations: coastal communities comprised of fishermen and restaurant owners (N1=181), and authorities comprised of coastal officials in the sectors of health, and environment and risk management (N2=20). Using contingency tables, chi-square test, Cramer’s V correlation statistic, and multiple correspondence analysis, this study compared the responses of these two groups, coastal communities, and authorities, to determine whether the principal activity or livelihood, affected risk perception in each group. This project implemented four workshops to interact with coastal stakeholders and more deeply understand risk perception within studied populations. Results demonstrated that principal activity indeed influenced risk perception of red tides and that fishermen, restaurant owners, and health authorities had limited knowledge and low-risk perception of red tide impacts on human health. Recommendations produced from this research include tailored workshops and improved communication between authorities and coastal communities to enhance algal bloom monitoring and coastal management during future red tide events.
Highlights
IntroductionThe ocean is intrinsically linked to human health by providing food and wellbeing, but can pose climate-ecological risks such as harmful algal blooms (HABs), which are considered natural events that can flourish in response to warm sea surface temperatures, thermocline shoaling, coastal upwelling, and other factors not yet well understood (Moore et al, 2008; Fleming et al, 2014; McCabe et al, 2016)
Fishermen and restaurant owners were older than authorities by an average of 10–15 years, and many members of this group had been living in the community for about 15 years longer than members of the authorities (Table 1)
Using a graphical representation of a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), we identified the correspondence between economic activity and level of education, for two main questions: “What are the causes of red tides?” and “Have you been affected by the red tides?” The Figure 3 shows that fishermen are highly associated with the
Summary
The ocean is intrinsically linked to human health by providing food and wellbeing, but can pose climate-ecological risks such as harmful algal blooms (HABs), which are considered natural events that can flourish in response to warm sea surface temperatures, thermocline shoaling, coastal upwelling, and other factors not yet well understood (Moore et al, 2008; Fleming et al, 2014; McCabe et al, 2016) Climate variability such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), along with climate change and the expansion of nutrient enrichment, increase the frequency of algal blooms with toxins that impact the livelihood and health of coastal communities (Backer and McGillicuddy, 2006; Heisler et al, 2008; Moore et al, 2008; Hallegraeff, 2010; Fleming et al, 2014; Glibert et al, 2014). This research framework is widely used to study human behavioral changes in response to a problem or disease (World Health Organization [WHO], 2008; Wan, 2014; Rav-Marathe et al, 2016), and we leveraged KAP surveys to understand place-based information that can contribute to local HAB policy formation
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