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The greatest source of human-related mortality for endangered Florida manatees is collisions with watercraft. Regulation of boat speeds is the principal management tool to minimize this threat. Demands on law enforcement limit their ability to monitor boater behavior and managers seek alternative strategies to increase compliance. The purposes of t...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... enforcement was present during 2.9% of the overall observation time. A chi-square test compared boater behavior between the pretreatment and treatment periods (Table 2). To meet the assumptions of the chi-square test, only the first observation of uniquely-identified vessels were used (N Pretreatment = 944, N Treatment = 452). ...
Context 2
... believe that reactance could have occurred with some of the boaters, but that it is equally likely that most boaters did not notice the signs nor were they influenced by their message. This idea is supported by the statistically nonsignificant chi-square result in Table 2. Additionally, other variables related to the persuasion context, including source, receiver, channel, message, and situational factors, may have influenced the sign's effectiveness (see Ajzen, 1992); however, these factors were not measured in this study. ...
Citations
... Self-regulation and education do not seem to have successfully protected cetaceans in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria [108,110]. Some international studies have concluded that education and outreach, named 'passive actions', are ineffective for improving vessel compliance with regulations [111,112], while the first listed item, the presence of police enforcement, proves effective [108,113]. Constantine [114] names the Western Australian government's decision to withdraw two dolphin-watching permits in Shark Bay as the most effective management strategy, a decision which came after a significant impact from the dolphin watching tours was shown. ...
Vessels cause considerable disturbance to cetaceans world-wide, with potential long-term impacts to population viability. Here we present a comprehensive review of vessel impacts to cetacean behavior in Australian waters (2003–2015), finding inadequate protections to be in place. The majority of these studies found trends of decreased animal travel and resting behavioral states as well as low compliance to regulations, and they recommended further regulatory action such as greater enforcement or monitoring, or passive management strategies. As a case study, we conducted the first field assessment of vessel compliance with the Wildlife (Marine Mammal) Regulations 2009 in Gippsland Lakes, Australia, and provide the first assessment of the endangered Gippsland Lakes Burrunan dolphin ( Tursiops australis ) population’s behavioral ecology. Dolphin behavior and vessel regulation compliance data were collected during boat-based surveys of Gippsland Lakes from July 2017 to January 2018, with a total of 22 dolphin group sightings resulting in 477 five-minute point samples. 77% of dolphin sightings involved vessel interactions (within 400 m), and 56 regulation breaches were observed. These breaches were most severe in summer (mean = 4.54 breaches/hour). Vessels were found to alter dolphin behavior before, during, and after interactions and regulation breaches, including increased mating (mate guarding) and milling behavioral states, and increased ‘fish catch’, ‘high leap’ and ‘tail slap’ behavioral events. These behavioral changes may indicate masking of the dolphins' acoustic communication, disturbance of prey, increased dolphin transition behaviors, and/or induced stress and changes to group structure (including increased mate guarding). While our results provide evidence of short-term altered behavior, the potential for long-term effects on population dynamics for this threatened species is high. In the context of reported inadequate cetacean protection Australia-wide, our management recommendations include greater monitoring and enforcement, and the utilisation of adaptive management.
... Management strategies implemented at federal and state levels to prevent seagrass scarring have consisted of multifaceted approaches that include education, signage, no-motor areas, and restricted entry zones (Sargent, 1995;FDEP, 2004;Atkins, 2011;Lathrop et al., 2017;Orth et al., 2017). Regulatory interventions such as the creation of no-motor zones or slow speed zones have been widely applied and generally show mixed results (Gorzelany, 1996(Gorzelany, , 2008(Gorzelany, , 20042006;Scheidt and Garreau, 2007;Sorice et al., 2007;Schaub et al., 2009;Jett and Thapa, 2010;Atkins, 2011;Lathrop et al., 2017). Many of these studies report either no significant change in boater behavior or even a negative boater behavior response to new regulatory zones, perhaps given the unpopularity of such approaches among some boater groups (Chipman and Helfrich, 1988;Salz et al., 2001;Salz and Loomis, 2005). ...
Propeller scarring by recreational vessels is a known threat to seagrass meadows in Florida. Despite decades of awareness about the problem, there has been little meaningful progress in addressing this largely preventable stressor. We consider it preventable because it rests on human behaviors, which can be changed by education, technology, social norms, and policy. However, past attempts to address seagrass scarring have rarely been evaluated for effectiveness. Thus, very little guidance exists for natural resource managers, educators, and policy makers responsible for allocating limited resources toward effective interventions. Using a social marketing approach, we deployed two separate interventions, one education-based and the other cue-based (navigational aids) in Florida, USA. We measured boater behavior and attitudes before and after the interventions to assess the relative effectiveness of each. Navigational aids elicited a clear behavioral improvement across a broad cross-section of boaters, while minimal effects were observed for the educational intervention. However, analyses suggest the recreational boating audience can be segmented by factors such as experience level to better target educational messages in future seagrass protection efforts. These results will assist seagrass managers, educators, advocates, policy makers, and boating industry stakeholders in deploying an efficient combination of approaches to better address propeller scarring in Florida's seagrass meadows.
... With strict compliance to standard dimensions stipulated by regulatory authorities, it is highly anticipated that an appropriate engine matched with that of the boat design can be selected effectively . That is, avoiding an improperly matched propulsion system of boats thereby increasing its capability to handle external disturbances such as adverse weather conditions (Sorice et al., 2007;Luo et al., 2016). Otherwise, the safety of life at sea may be compromised. ...
... With strict compliance to standard dimensions stipulated by regulatory authorities, it is highly anticipated that an appropriate engine matched with that of the boat design can be selected effectively . That is, avoiding an improperly matched propulsion system of boats thereby increasing its capability to handle external disturbances such as adverse weather conditions (Sorice et al., 2007;Luo et al., 2016). Otherwise, the safety of life at sea may be compromised. ...
... Duncan and Martin (2002) observed messages indicating a $250 fine for firewood collection and campfire use did not differ from a message stating firewood was limited and should not be used. In the context of recreational boating, Sorice, Flamm, and McDonald (2007) found messages referencing a $500 fine associated with speeding did not increase compliance in comparison to a message that only asked boaters to slow down. In general, results of past research are mixed. ...
... The differences we observed in the overall sample and subsamples may be partially explained by the laws specific to invasive species being in place for several years. However, this does not consider whether individuals comply with the law or not (sensu Sorice et al., 2007). In terms of applying regulation frames to a communications strategy, the existence and users' knowledge of the law and tendency to comply with it are important context-dependent factors agencies must consider. ...
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) management often requires a human-centered focus that entails communicating with resource-users about needed mitigation behaviors. Messaging is a common communication practice to this end, and evaluating how messaging influences user behavior is an essential component. To test the effects of messaging on AIS mitigation behavioral intentions, 1,338 participants were randomly assigned to one of four message framing conditions: standard, regulation, descriptive, and injunctive. Overall, a significant effect of message framing was observed, with regulation-framed messages garnering significantly higher intentions. Further analysis revealed a significant main effect of messaging among participants reporting low frequencies of past behaviors. Similar results were found among participants reporting stronger perceived barriers to AIS mitigation behaviors. We discuss these results in relation to other message framing studies, their managerial implications, and future research directions.
... & Catch and Release zone: An area dedicated to zeroextraction fishing activity for all species & Idle speed zone: An area in which a motored vessel must operate off-plane, fully settled in the water and generating no wake during powered transit (Sorice et al. 2007) & Pole/Troll zone: An area designated to un-powered propulsion by means of a pushpole or batteryoperated trolling motor In order to provide responsible transit through fishing areas, Idle Speed zones were introduced to allow for safe and efficient ingress and egress tools. Pole/Troll zones were introduced as environmentally conscious methods for entering and fishing in sensitive areas such as continuous seagrass meadows. ...
The Florida Keys is recognized as the birth place of flats fishing, but the flats fishery has historically been underappreciated by resource managers because it is a catch and release fishery. However, the fishery is increasingly threatened by habitat degradation and user conflicts. Ongoing regulatory revisions in the Florida Keys prompted us to work with flats fishing guides to document spatial fishing coverage and habitats so that this information could be included in management revisions. We used a geostatistical approach to create contour maps depicting fishing coverage and habitats, and provided this information to resource managers. This participatory GIS approach engages stakeholders in the management process, uses their knowledge of the resource, and contributes to resource and fisheries conservation. This study, in combination with research on the economic impact of the flats fishery, presents the flats fishery as an important conservation tool for the region and underscores the implication of relationships between researchers and data providers in the saltwater recreational fishery.
... Previous studies (e.g. Duprey, Weir, & Würsig, 2008;Scarpaci et al., 2003;Sorice, Flamm, & McDonald, 2007;Wiley, Moller, Pace, & Carlson, 2008) have used compliance as an indicator of the effectiveness of regulations and voluntary codes of conduct. However, one of the limitations of these studies is that only compliance was documented; perhaps due to the notion that compliance equates to the eradication of tourism-related disturbance to target species. ...
Guidelines and a national code of conduct were implemented to manage scuba diving tourism with the critically endangered grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus) along the Australian east coast. The demographics of diving tourists, swimming behaviour of grey nurse sharks at various life-history stages and compliance of divers to the guidelines/code of conduct were simultaneously assessed during diver–shark interactions at four sites from March 2011 to February 2012. Milling was the most frequent swimming behaviour observed and no significant changes occurred with the number of divers or distance to sharks. Divers exhibited 100% compliance with all guidelines investigated. Satisfactory compliance may have been attributable to guideline clarity, the ease of establishing diver–shark interactions, stakeholder involvement in management processes and diver perceptions of sharks. Similar sampling of group and individual shark behaviour should be done to further enhance the understanding of the beneficial and adverse impacts of this marine wildlife tourism sector.
... Absent information adequate to direct specific behavior, decisions and action may be guided by the processing of personally relevant attitudes (Boninger et al. 1995). Manatee-safe boating signage on Florida's waterways primarily presents factual information to boaters regarding existing rules and regulations (Sorice et al. 2007). Along these lines, the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) (Petty and Cacioppo 1986) suggests that understanding the two primary routes of persuasion, central and peripheral, is important in the persuasion process. ...
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... Validation of the TBSZ, whilst important, may not, however, be sufficient to ensure satisfactory voluntary compliance, given the historical non-compliance of the PPB industry and research illustrating tourism compliance within ecologically significant sanctuary zones relying on self-regulation, and those managed by education, cannot generally be assumed (e.g. Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve (Jelinski, Kryeger, & Duffus, 2002); Stewallegn Bank National Marine Sanctuary (Wiley, Moller, Pace, & Carlson, 2008); The Indian River North/Packwood Place manatee slow-speed sanctuary (Sorice, Flamm, & McDonald, 2007)). Underpinning the TBSZ designation is an advanced legislative framework (i.e. ...
Over the past two decades, considerable growth in commercial cetacean-based tourism has exposed coastal cetacean populations to high vessel density. Since 1989, Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia, has hosted a thriving dolphin-swim tourism industry comprised of three licensed vessels. This study assessed the effectiveness of the Ticonderoga Bay Sanctuary Zone, a protected area enacted under the Wildlife (Whales) Regulations 1998, to serve the resident dolphins as an area of ‘respite’ and ‘refuge’ from anthropogenic stress, including commercial tourism. Research was conducted onboard 104 dolphin-swim tours, with both tour operation and dolphin school behaviour recorded using a combination of continuous observations and 1-min scan samples. During all observed encounters within the sanctuary zone, tour operations contravened the site-specific minimal approach distance regulation. By also contravening generic permit conditions (compliance range 0–70%) to the level of unsatisfactory compliance consistent with that documented outside the sanctuary zone, tour operations did not exercise any additional caution during a dolphin encounter within the sanctuary zone. Recommendations for this industry include a shift from sole reliance on passive management strategies to a judicious management plan that includes enforcement to support the governing regulations.
... Th is form of data would indicate to wildlife managers (a) if the regulations need to be further reviewed to ensure that they are eff ective or (b) whether the presence of an enforcement offi cer is required to ensure that tour-operators comply with eff ective regulations. Recently, data have demonstrated that passive actions (outreach material, education, signs) to improve compliance are not eff ective (Camargo and Bellini 2007;Sorice et al. 2007) as opposed to active actions such as the presence of enforcement offi cers (Gorzelany 2001;Scarpaci et al. 2004). Th erefore, we suggest that if this industry remains non-compliant and the foraging behaviour is reduced in the presence of tour vessels, then actions may need to be implemented in this region to promote a sustainable tourist operation. ...
Nature-based tourism targeting cetaceans is a billion dollar industry that continues to grow. Therefore, the ecological effects of this industry require investigation. Inshore marine wildlife, such as coastal populations of dolphins that have become tourism targets, is affected by human activities in the coastal zone, and tourism may be an additional stressor. The focus of marine wildlife tourism in southern Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia, is a coastal population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.). Commercial dolphin-swim and dolphin-watch operations seek out dolphins. This study monitored activity budgets of bottlenose dolphins at one site, in the presence and absence of vessels during a two-year period through land-based observations. The results demonstrate a significant decreased likelihood of bottlenose dolphins engaging in feeding behaviour when vessels were present. Schools with calves were significantly larger than groups without and vessel presence resulted in larger schools regardless of school composition. Results also indicated that the number of dolphins observed at the study site were lower during afternoon ebb tides and on afternoon slack tides. The significance of their reduced feeding in the long-term conservation of these dolphins will remain unclear until information is available on their behaviour in areas into which tourist operators do not venture.
