A Test Of Educational Methods To Reduce Boating Disturbance To Harbor Seals
Environmental education can affect attitudes and behaviors, but determining the most effective methods for protecting wildlife requires research. This study examined the effect of two modes of environmental education, one passive and one active, on the behaviors of boaters toward harbor seals (Phoca...
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ftsanjosestate:oai:scholarworks.sjsu.edu:etd_theses-8159 2023-07-30T04:06:21+02:00 A Test Of Educational Methods To Reduce Boating Disturbance To Harbor Seals Solvason, Rachel Nicole 2015-10-01T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4612 https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.ygf3-6uc2 https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/context/etd_theses/article/8159/viewcontent/Solvason.PDF unknown SJSU ScholarWorks https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4612 doi:10.31979/etd.ygf3-6uc2 https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/context/etd_theses/article/8159/viewcontent/Solvason.PDF Master's Theses docent education environment harbor seals san francisco bay sign Environmental studies Environmental education Natural resource management text 2015 ftsanjosestate https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.ygf3-6uc2 2023-07-17T18:54:14Z Environmental education can affect attitudes and behaviors, but determining the most effective methods for protecting wildlife requires research. This study examined the effect of two modes of environmental education, one passive and one active, on the behaviors of boaters toward harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) at Corkscrew Slough in Redwood City, California, an area where harbor seals haul out and pup. Thirty-one boaters viewed an interpretive sign (passive environmental mode) and 30 experienced a docent talk (active) both designed to educate boaters on protecting harbor seals; 31 boaters received no environmental information (the control), therefore were not exposed to the interpretive sign or the docent talk. I collected data on how these boaters responded to harbor seals in Corkscrew Slough and on the response of harbor seals to the boaters. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and Chi-square to assess differences between treatments. Boaters exposed to signs or docents stayed significantly further from the seals compared to boaters not exposed to any environmental education. However, neither the sign nor the docent reduced the length of time boaters spent traveling through the Slough compared to the control, nor was the number of boaters stopping to observe seals reduced. Harbor seals showed no difference in disturbance responses to boaters, no matter what the mode of education for the boaters. These results suggest signs and docents may change some boater behavior but that managers should not depend solely on these educational approaches to protect sensitive wildlife Text Phoca vitulina San José State University: SJSU ScholarWorks |
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San José State University: SJSU ScholarWorks |
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docent education environment harbor seals san francisco bay sign Environmental studies Environmental education Natural resource management |
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docent education environment harbor seals san francisco bay sign Environmental studies Environmental education Natural resource management Solvason, Rachel Nicole A Test Of Educational Methods To Reduce Boating Disturbance To Harbor Seals |
topic_facet |
docent education environment harbor seals san francisco bay sign Environmental studies Environmental education Natural resource management |
description |
Environmental education can affect attitudes and behaviors, but determining the most effective methods for protecting wildlife requires research. This study examined the effect of two modes of environmental education, one passive and one active, on the behaviors of boaters toward harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) at Corkscrew Slough in Redwood City, California, an area where harbor seals haul out and pup. Thirty-one boaters viewed an interpretive sign (passive environmental mode) and 30 experienced a docent talk (active) both designed to educate boaters on protecting harbor seals; 31 boaters received no environmental information (the control), therefore were not exposed to the interpretive sign or the docent talk. I collected data on how these boaters responded to harbor seals in Corkscrew Slough and on the response of harbor seals to the boaters. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and Chi-square to assess differences between treatments. Boaters exposed to signs or docents stayed significantly further from the seals compared to boaters not exposed to any environmental education. However, neither the sign nor the docent reduced the length of time boaters spent traveling through the Slough compared to the control, nor was the number of boaters stopping to observe seals reduced. Harbor seals showed no difference in disturbance responses to boaters, no matter what the mode of education for the boaters. These results suggest signs and docents may change some boater behavior but that managers should not depend solely on these educational approaches to protect sensitive wildlife |
format |
Text |
author |
Solvason, Rachel Nicole |
author_facet |
Solvason, Rachel Nicole |
author_sort |
Solvason, Rachel Nicole |
title |
A Test Of Educational Methods To Reduce Boating Disturbance To Harbor Seals |
title_short |
A Test Of Educational Methods To Reduce Boating Disturbance To Harbor Seals |
title_full |
A Test Of Educational Methods To Reduce Boating Disturbance To Harbor Seals |
title_fullStr |
A Test Of Educational Methods To Reduce Boating Disturbance To Harbor Seals |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Test Of Educational Methods To Reduce Boating Disturbance To Harbor Seals |
title_sort |
test of educational methods to reduce boating disturbance to harbor seals |
publisher |
SJSU ScholarWorks |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4612 https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.ygf3-6uc2 https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/context/etd_theses/article/8159/viewcontent/Solvason.PDF |
genre |
Phoca vitulina |
genre_facet |
Phoca vitulina |
op_source |
Master's Theses |
op_relation |
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4612 doi:10.31979/etd.ygf3-6uc2 https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/context/etd_theses/article/8159/viewcontent/Solvason.PDF |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.ygf3-6uc2 |
_version_ |
1772818898445402112 |