Investigating societal attitudes towards the marine environment of Ireland

This paper presents the results of a nationwide survey in Ireland that explored the values, concerns and preferences of individuals towards the Irish marine environment. The results of the Irish survey are also compared to the results from similar surveys carried out in other maritime countries in the EU. The results of the Irish survey demonstrate a reasonable level of knowledge of the main threats facing Ireland׳s marine environment and of the importance of non-market as well as market ecosystem services provided by the seas around the Irish coast. The results also suggest that the Irish public are sceptical of the ability of government and private industry to manage the Irish marine economy but instead place a large amount of trust in the competency of scientists. The perception of whether or not they consider where they live as being a coastal area would also suggest that the Irish public hold a much more narrow view of what constitutes a coastal area than that held by statistical agencies such as Eurostat.     

Evaluation of a Movie Theater Advertisement Campaign to Promote Behaviors that Prevent Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species

One of the primary causes of the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) is boaters and anglers who move between bodies of water. Engaging with recreational boaters and anglers to encourage preventative behaviors is crucial for managing the spread of AIS. The use of cinema advertising for disseminating pro-environmental messages is a relatively novel and understudied outreach strategy. To explore this approach, an AIS-related public service announcement was placed in the preshow advertising at a movie theater in north central Wisconsin. Movie patrons were surveyed as they left the theater to determine demographic, AIS awareness, advertising exposure, and recall information. The results of this study suggest movie theater advertising is a potentially efficacious medium for pro-environmental outreach efforts.