On the relationship between attitudes and environmental behaviours of key Great Barrier Reef user groups

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Goldberg, Jeremy A.;Marshall, Nadine A.;Birtles, Alastair;Case, Peter;Curnock, Matthew I.;Gurney, Georgina G.
Abstract

Urgent action is required to address threats to ecosystems around the world. Coral reef ecosystems, like the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), are particularly vulnerable to human impacts such as coastal development, resource extraction, and climate change. Resource managers and policymakers along the GBR have consequently initiated a variety of programs to engage local stakeholders and promote conservation activities to protect the environment. However, little is known about how and why stakeholders feel connected to the GBR nor how this connection affects the pro-environmental behaviours they undertake. Here, we present the results of 5,891 surveys and show that the attitudes that residents, tourists, and tourism operators have about the GBR are closely tied to the behaviours and activities they take to protect the environment. Our findings suggest that the responsibility, pride, identity, and optimism that people associate with the GBR are significantly correlated to several pro-environmental behaviours, including recycling, participation in conservation groups, and certain climate change mitigation activities. Respondents who feel the strongest connection to the GBR take the most action to protect the environment. Tourism operators who strongly identify with the GBR take more action to protect the environment than those who do not. Encouraging individual identification with the GBR via targeted messages and engagement campaigns may assist not only in GBR conservation, but a wider sustainability movement as well. A better understanding of the individual attitudes and beliefs held by local stakeholders is a key first step towards effective communication to influence conservation activities.

Journal

Ecology and Society

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Volume

23

ISBN/ISSN

1708-3087

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Issue

2

Pages Count

13

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Publisher

Resilience Alliance

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EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.5751/ES-10048-230219