News

A new research paper has been published in the journal of Ocean and Coastal Management entitled: "Public perceptions of marine threats and protection from around the world". This research, which was conducted by past CERC.OCEAN research assistant Hailey Guest and CERC.OCEAN Chair Doug Wallace, along with a number of other researchers from around the world, was aimed at determining perceived ocean threats and support for marine protection around the world. This study included >32,000 respondents from 21 countries and found that 70% of respondents believed that the ocean was under threat from human activities, and 45% of those respondents believed that the threat was high or very high. As far as ocean protection, 73% of respondents supported marine protected areas in their region, but most overestimated the area of ocean currently protected. Overall, this paper helps to emphasize worldwide trends in the perception of ocean threats and the need for marine protection around the world. 

To continue reading, the full-text article can be accessed here.

Lotze, H. K., Guest, H., O'Leary, J., Tuda, A., & Wallace, D. (2018). Public perceptions of marine threats and protection from around the world. Ocean & Coastal Management, 152, 14-22.