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Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SCUBA diving experience in marine protected areas

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Autor(es):
Marconi, Marina ; Giglio, Vinicius J. ; Pereira-Filho, Guilherme H. ; Motta, Fabio S.
Número total de Autores: 4
Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
Fonte: JOURNAL OF OUTDOOR RECREATION AND TOURISM-RESEARCH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT; v. 41, p. 11-pg., 2023-03-23.
Resumo

Faced with the need for isolation of most people to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, a great concern for the well-being of the population has resurfaced. Considering the numerous benefits of outdoor activities to human health and well-being, we assessed whether the quality of the experience of recreational divers in a marine protected area (MPA) was impacted during the pandemic. We applied a semi-structured questionnaire to divers, collected their socioeconomic profile, preferences, motivations, experiences, and compared the results with those obtained in the previous season. We found that the quality of the recreational diver's experience remained high even during one of the world's biggest health crises. This suggests that the combination of contact with a pre-served environment and the adaptation of regulations in favor of visitor safety was enough to stimulate positive experiences. Therefore, we highlight the importance of investing in adaptive management so that MPAs continue to promote ecosystem services such as human health and subjective well-being. Management implications: center dot Quality of experience for recreational divers remained high and was unaffected after the first major wave of COVID-19 cases. center dot Through adaptive tourism management, MPAs can promote positive experiences even in chal-lenging contexts. center dot High impact of environmental attributes on the quality of divers' experience reinforces that threats to ecosystems are social impacts. center dot Socially unequal access to benefits generated by MPAs may negatively influence population's support for these areas. center dot Efforts are needed to strengthen the equity of distribution of positive social impacts in MPAs. center dot Potential to provide positive experiences for users must be seen beyond economic value, but as an investment in the population's subjective well-being. (AU)

Processo FAPESP: 17/22273-0 - Efeitos ecológicos do mergulho recreativo em áreas marinhas protegidas subtropicais
Beneficiário:Vinicius Jose Giglio Fernandes
Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
Processo FAPESP: 19/19423-5 - Ciência aplicada à gestão do uso público e fronteiras do conhecimento de Áreas Marinhas Protegidas: da experiência dos visitantes à biodiversidade de recifes mesofóticos subtropicais
Beneficiário:Fabio dos Santos Motta
Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Regular