Influence of a tribally led children’s environmental education program on shellfish harvesting beliefs and behavioral intentions

Shellfish harvesting holds cultural significance for Alaska Native coastal communities, yet consuming untested shellfish poses serious health risks, with Alaska Natives facing disproportionately higher exposure to shellfish toxins. Traditional knowledge has historically informed risk mitigation, but climate change is altering exposure patterns, diminishing the predictability of exposures and challenging the reliability of traditional practices. In response, the Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research (SEATOR) network—a tribally led initiative—maintains a near real-time toxin data website, while the Sitka Tribe of Alaska has developed culturally grounded environmental education programming to enhance toxin risk awareness and support safe harvesting practices. This study assesses the impact of a middle school program aimed at increasing awareness of toxin risks, promoting safe harvesting, and encouraging the use of the SEATOR website to check toxin levels. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we evaluated shifts in children’s beliefs and behavioral intentions regarding shellfish harvesting and toxin exposure risk mitigation. Participants included 50 middle school students across three communities in Southeast Alaska—Sitka, Hoonah, and Juneau. Research activities included pre- and post-program surveys and interviews and a one-year follow-up survey. Using the survey data, we used generalized estimating equation linear regression to investigate pre-post program changes in TPB beliefs and behavioral intentions related to shellfish harvesting and consumption and a specific risk reduction strategy: checking the SEATOR website for toxin levels. We also assessed how changes in TPB beliefs relate to changes in harvesting and risk reduction behavioral intentions. Interviews were intended to contextualize the changes in beliefs and behavioral intentions measured in surveys. Results indicated pre-post program shifts. Overall, participants reported more positive perceptions and increased behavioral intentions towards shellfish harvesting and checking the SEATOR website, but differences emerged across sites and reported race. Participants’ understanding of the risk reduction strategy and confidence in their ability to check the SEATOR website increased and suggests that encouraging the use of an accessible risk reduction strategy is effective in promoting the adoption of safe environmental and health behaviors. Participants also indicated that family involvement in harvesting shaped perceptions, underscoring the need for family engagement in youth environmental education. Our findings emphasize that culturally tailored environmental education that integrates risk perception and practical risk reduction strategies within local ecological and cultural contexts can influence children’s safe harvesting intentions. This work suggests the broader applicability of culturally informed ocean literacy programs in promoting public health and environmental stewardship.