Dr Abigail McQuatters-Gollop1, Dr Louise B. Firth1, Dr Mark Farnworth2, Dr Keiron Fraser1
1Plymouth University, Plymouth, United Kingdom, 2University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
In the marine environment, natural biogenic reef habitats are amongst the most threatened by human activities with 85% of oyster reefs, 38% of kelp forests, and 30% of coral reefs being lost globally or in a degraded state. Although, reef-based ecotourism can substantially benefit local economies, recreational divers can damage sensitive marine habitats such as coral reefs. One solution to managing the conflict between the economic value of diving and its ecological threats is the deployment of purposely-sunk human made reefs (HMRs) near popular dive sites. Here we surveyed recreational divers to better understand divers’ use, preference and perceptions of diving on artificial and natural dive sites. We found that more divers prefer to dive on natural habitats than artificial, with associated biodiversity the most popular reason for preferring natural habitats, and a love of shipwrecks the most popular reason for preferring artificial habitat dive sites. One key reason that divers value artificial habitats is their perceived ability to divert divers away from sensitive natural habitats, with some respondents exhibiting a preference to avoid coral reefs to protect them. Here, we suggest encouraging behavioural change through getting divers to switch out a proportion of their dives in vulnerable natural dive sites for dives in HMRs. Just like many people are opting for a “meat-free Monday”, divers can do their bit by opting for a “natural reef-free dive”. The results of this research can be applied in the process of designing HMRs as part of sustainable dive tourism and ecosystem management.
Biography:
Dr Abigail McQuatters-Gollop is a plankton ecologist and Associate Professor of Marine Conservation at University of Plymouth. She is a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow and former Defra Senior Policy Fellow and is leading the implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive for pelagic habitats (plankton) for the UK and OSPAR (Northern Europe). Abigail’s research focuses on marine ecological responses to anthropogenic and climate change and the subsequent integration of results into the policy process. A key area of interest lies in developing indicators to assess biodiversity state.
