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Recreational diving impacts and the use of pre-dive briefings as a management strategy on Florida coral reefs

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Abstract

Ecotourism often is promoted as an ecologically sustainable activity, but some ecotourism activities negatively impact coastal ecosystems. Impacts of intensive diving tourism on coral reefs remain poorly understood, especially in the Florida Keys. We determined patterns of recreational dive frequency, diver behaviour, and coral damage on reefs near Key Largo, and assessed how pre-dive briefings and other factors affect these damage rates. Recreational divers contacted live stony corals ~ 18 times per scuba dive; most contacts deposited sediment onto corals, but also caused abrasion to coral tissues and fracture of coral skeletons. Divers who received pre-dive ecological briefings caused significantly less coral damage than those who did not, and divers with cameras and/or gloves caused the most damage. The proportion of damaged corals increased significantly with the estimated rate of recreational diving on each reef, and the percent cover of live corals decreased. We conclude that current rates of recreational diving in Key Largo are unsustainable, resulting in damage to >80 % of coral colonies and reduction of live coral cover to <11 % at heavily-dived sites. We recommend that dive tour operators administer pre-dive ecological briefings to all recreational divers, provide extra briefings to camera and glove users, and employ underwater dive guides who intervene when divers inadvertently damage live stony corals. This study provides a scientific basis to support management of intensive ecotourism on Florida coral reefs.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Joey Szczebak, Stanton Belford, and David Weese for assistance in the field, and William Fitt (University of Georgia) for the use of the Key Largo Marine Research Laboratory. This research was submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an M.Sc. degree to JRK from Auburn University, and was funded in part by a Graduate Research Grant from Auburn University to JRK. This study was conducted in accordance with the marine sanctuary collection protocols of NOAA, under permit # FKNMS-2011-037. This is publication #XXX of the Auburn University Marine Biology Program.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, 101 Rouse Life Sciences Building, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    Joseph R. Krieger & Nanette E. Chadwick

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  1. Joseph R. Krieger
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  2. Nanette E. Chadwick
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Correspondence to Nanette E. Chadwick.

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Krieger, J.R., Chadwick, N.E. Recreational diving impacts and the use of pre-dive briefings as a management strategy on Florida coral reefs. J Coast Conserv 17, 179–189 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-012-0229-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-012-0229-9

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