User Satisfaction and Crowding at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Jasmine Cardozo Moreira,Melissa Hurtado,Robert C Burns,Danielle Schwarzmann,Ross G Andrew

doi:10.3390/w13233423

Abstract

Effective management and monitoring of recreational use is fundamental in marine protected areas. The primary purpose of this study is to examine user’s satisfaction levels, crowding levels and the relationship between them at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Online surveys were sent via Qualtrics to email addresses obtained from the state of Florida during the summer of 2020. The results showed that the respondents felt very satisfied and only slightly crowded while snorkeling or scuba diving during their most recent 2019 trip in the Florida Keys, although satisfaction was still negatively impacted by crowding. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that satisfaction levels were significantly lower in users who saw more people than they expected. A linear regression indicated significantly lower satisfaction with increasing age. Furthermore, a multiple regression showed that experiencing natural surroundings has a significant positive relationship in overall trip satisfaction, i.e., users that are more satisfied experiencing natural surroundings are also likely to be more satisfied with their overall trip satisfaction. This study suggests that the convergence of social and natural resource research and practices can help managers to create better policies that will maximize human benefits from, and minimize human pressures on, ocean and coastal environments.

Highlights

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) stated that MPAs are vital in conserving the marine cultural heritage and supporting vital living systems of the world, but they ensure that the use of living marine resources is sustained ecologically in those areas [1,2]
Understanding the positive and negative impacts caused by people is one of the main reasons why an effective management and monitoring of recreational use is fundamental in marine protected areas
The primary purpose of this study is to examine the satisfaction and crowding of people recreating at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Summary

Introduction

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) stated that MPAs are vital in conserving the marine cultural heritage and supporting vital living systems of the world, but they ensure that the use of living marine resources is sustained ecologically in those areas [1,2]. Coral reefs provide exceptional value of ecosystem services and they are a key source of food, livelihoods and economic opportunity to people. They protect shorelines from erosion, they host a quarter of all known marine species and attract national and international tourists. People are often attracted to these areas because of the natural qualities of the environment and the recreational opportunities that can be found [11]. The same increased recreational attention may result in negative impacts on the physical and social environment. Understanding the positive and negative impacts caused by people is one of the main reasons why an effective management and monitoring of recreational use is fundamental in marine protected areas

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Results

Conclusion