Better understanding ocean awareness: Insights from young people

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a key conservation policy tool designed to provide protection of ocean and coastal ecosystems globally. Public engagement and awareness of MPAs, especially in regional communities, is critical in improving outcomes and ultimately their overall acceptance. Engaging w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine policy 2024-06, Vol.164, p.106159, Article 106159
Main Authors: Wootton, Nina, Nursey-Bray, Melissa, Holland, Shane, Gillanders, Bronwyn M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Marine awareness
Marine Protected Areas
Marine protection
Science education
Young people
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Summary:Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a key conservation policy tool designed to provide protection of ocean and coastal ecosystems globally. Public engagement and awareness of MPAs, especially in regional communities, is critical in improving outcomes and ultimately their overall acceptance. Engaging with young people is essential as they are key thought shifters and positive movers in the future of MPAs, and environmental issues broadly. Further, it is the younger generation that must live with the conservation choices that are being made now in the future. Therefore, it is essential that we require a detailed understanding of young people’s knowledge of MPAs, and their key pathways of gathering information to do with the environment broadly. In turn, educators, marine park managers and policy makers can utilise these findings to better inform young people on key environmental issues. Here we present results from a survey that explored the knowledge and awareness of young people (ages 11 – 17) in relation to marine environments. School students (N=314) from coastal regions of South Australia were asked about their knowledge of MPAs, the value placed on the marine environment, and their key sources for information on environmental issues. Results indicate that broadly there were low levels of understanding of MPAs, with only 30% of students acknowledging they knew what MPAs were. This lack of understanding surrounding MPAs indicates the necessity for enriched communication strategies to improve awareness of threats placed on marine environments, and the roles that MPAs play in helping to combat these threats.
ISSN:0308-597X
1872-9460
DOI:10.1016/j.marpol.2024.106159