Differences between protected and unprotected reefs of the western Caribbean in attributes preferred by dive tourists
Abstract
Tropical marine protected areas (MPAs) may promote conditions that are attractive to dive tourists, but a systematic basis for assessing their effectiveness in this regard is currently lacking. 195 dive tourists in Jamaica were interviewed to determine which reef attributes they most preferred to see on dives. Attributes relating to fishes and other large animals ('big fishes', 'other large animals', 'variety of fishes', 'abundance of fishes', and 'unusual fishes') were more appreciated than those relating to reef structure and benthos ('reef structure e.g., drop-offs', 'variety of corals', 'large corals', 'coral cover', 'unusual corals', 'sponges', 'unusual algae', 'lobsters, crabs etc.'). Reef condition was then surveyed with regard to those aspects (abundance and variety of fishes, number of 'unusual', and number of 'large' fish) at four Caribbean MPAs and reference areas. In two cases, Hol Chan Marine Reserve in Belize and Parque Nacional Punta Frances in Cuba, these fish attributes were more pronounced in the MPAs than in the reference areas. Differences between the Montego Bay Marine Park in Jamaica (MBMP) and adjacent reference areas were mainly restricted to shallow sites (
Citation
Environmental Conservation, 27(4): 382-391. [DOI: 10.1017/S0376892900000436]